Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)

• Symptoms

  • DCIS does not typically have any signs or symptoms. However, DCIS can sometimes cause signs such as:

    • A breast lump.

    • Bloody nipple discharge

    • DCIS is usually found on a mammogram and appears as small clusters of calcifications that have irregular shapes and sizes.

• When to see a doctor

  • Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice a change in your breasts, such as a lump, an area of puckered or otherwise unusual skin, a thickened region under the skin, or nipple discharge.

• Causes

  • It is not clear what causes DCIS. DCIS forms when genetic mutations occur in the DNA of breast duct cells. The genetic mutations cause the cells to appear abnormal, but the cells do not yet break out of the breast duct.

  • Researchers do not know exactly what triggers the abnormal cell growth that leads to DCIS. Factors that may play a part include your lifestyle, your environment, and genes passed to you from your parents.

• Risk factors

  • Factors that may increase your risk of DCIS include:

    • Increasing age

    • Personal history of benign breast disease, such as atypical hyperplasia

    • Family history of breast cancer

    • Never having been pregnant.

    • Having your first baby after the age of 30

    • Having your first period before age 12

    • Beginning menopause after age 55

    • Genetic mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer, such as those in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2