What is the treatment for low-grade DCIS?

Low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-invasive breast cancer that generally has a favorable prognosis and low risk of progression to invasive disease. The mainstay of treatment for low-grade DCIS is local excision, also known as lumpectomy. This surgical procedure involves the removal of the tumor along with a margin of surrounding healthy tissue to ensure that any potential cancer cells are also removed, reducing the risk of recurrence.

Local excision is preferred in cases of low-grade DCIS due to its effectiveness in removing the disease while preserving the breast, as long as clear margins are achieved. This approach can also be followed by radiation therapy to further decrease the risk of recurrence. The choice of local excision versus more radical procedures, such as mastectomy, often hinges on the tumor's characteristics, including its grade and the patient's preferences.

In this context, mastectomy, while sometimes necessary for high-grade DCIS or other clinical scenarios, is generally not the first-line treatment for low-grade cases. Targeted therapy and hormone therapy apply to specific tumor types and are not standard treatments for isolated low-grade DCIS, which typically does not express the markers that would necessitate these additional treatment modalities. Thus, local excision is the