Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast; review of calssification schemes and their clinical significance

ABSTRACT

The increasing use of screening mammography over the past two decades has led to five-fold increase in the diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]1. Thus pathologists are being increasingly faced with the challenge of diagnosing cancer in its early stage. The challenge faced by pathologists today is not just to detect pre-invasive conditions but to be able to further classify them into the various subgroups that may potentially have different biological behaviors. The interest in this area was heightened after the widespread use of breast conservation therapy. The aim of this review is to highlight this controversial area of pathology, clarify the existing classification schemes, emphasize the clinical significance of its different subtypes and identify the minimum required data to be recorded in any pathology report describing DCIS