DMochelle Fashions Magazine
September/October 2017
Stage 0 Breast Cancer
Stage 0, also called carcinoma in situ, is the earliest stage of breast cancer. This very early
breast cancer stage is sometimes interpreted as a precancerous condition. Many stage 0
breast cancers do not require treatment. When they do, the approach is generally very
successful.
The five-year survival rate for stage 0 breast cancer is 93 percent. This means that almost
all women diagnosed with stage 0 disease will live for at least five years after being
diagnosed. In fact, women diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer usually live long and
healthy lives.
What is stage 0 breast cancer?
At stage 0, the breast mass is noninvasive. At this
stage, there is no indication that the tumor cells
have spread to other parts of the breast or other
parts of the body. Often, stage 0 is considered a
precancerous condition that requires close
observation, but not treatment.
Stage 0 breast cancer is difficult to detect. There
may not be a lump that can be felt during a self-
examination, and there may be no other
symptoms. However, breast self-exams and
routine screening are always important and can often lead to early diagnosis, when the
cancer is most treatable. Stage 0 disease is most often found by accident during a breast
biopsy for another reason, such as to investigate an unrelated breast lump.
Types of stage 0 breast cancer
There are two types of stage 0 breast cancer:
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) occurs when breast cancer cells develop in the breast
ducts. Today, stage 0 DCIS is being diagnosed more often because more women are
having routine mammogram screenings. DCIS can become invasive, so early treatment
can be important.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) occurs when abnormal cells develop in the lobules.
These cells are not cancerous and this condition rarely becomes invasive cancer. However,
women who develop LCIS may be at increased risk for developing breast cancer in the
future. For women who develop LCIS, the risk of getting an invasive cancer is 20 - 25
percent over 15 years after the initial diagnosis.
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