Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS)

• The several types of LCIS are:

  • Classic LCIS: The cells lining the lobules of the breast are smaller and are about the same size.

  • Pleomorphic LCIS: The cells lining the lobules of the breast are larger and look more abnormal.

  • Florid LCIS: The cells lining the lobules have grown into a large enough group that they have formed a mass, typically with an area of dead cells in the middle (called central necrosis).

• How does LCIS affect breast cancer risk?

  • Women with LCIS have about a 7 to 12 times higher risk of developing invasive cancer in either breast. For this reason, doctors typically recommend that women with LCIS have regular breast cancer screening tests and follow-up visits with a healthcare provider for the rest of their lives.

• Treatment for LCIS

  • Having LCIS does increase your risk of developing invasive breast cancer later. However, since LCIS is not a true cancer or pre-cancer, often no treatment is needed after the biopsy.

  • Sometimes if LCIS is found using a needle biopsy, the doctor might recommend that it be removed completely (with an excisional biopsy or some other type of breast-conserving surgery) to help make sure that LCIS was the only abnormality there. This is especially true if the LCIS is described as pleomorphic or florid, in which case it might be more likely to grow quickly.

  • Even after an excisional biopsy, if pleomorphic or florid LCIS is found, some doctors might recommend another, more extensive surgery to make sure it has all been removed.