Current management of DCIS: a review

Ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) is a heterogeneous disease, in terms of its radiological characteristics, histological morphology and molecular attributes. This diversity is reflected in its natural history and influences optimal treatment strategy. A significant proportion of DCIS lesions behave in a clinically benign fashion and do not progress to invasive disease. Reliable identification of these patients could allow treatment to be less radical or safely omitted. Management should be tailored to the individual within the context of a multidisciplinary team. Approaches such as biological profiling and molecular analysis represent an opportunity to improve our understanding of the tumour biology of this condition and rationalise its treatment. This article reviews the management strategies for DCIS in the context of recent randomized trials, including the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy, adjuvant radiotherapy and tamoxifen.