Evaluating the long-term outcomes of breast-conserving therapy for women with ductal carcinoma in situ.

This study wanted to find out what the long-term outcomes were for women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who had breast-conserving therapy. The study found that after 10 years, the risk of recurrence of cancer in the same breast was very low. 

There are a number of treatment options for DCIS. Some women opt to have the entire breast removed through surgery, while others have breast-conserving therapy. In breast-conserving therapy, just the tumor and surrounding tissue are removed. The rest of the breast is left. Some patients also have radiation therapy (RT) after surgery to reduce the risk of relapse.

Some studies have shown that there is a risk of the cancer coming back when breast-conserving therapy is performed. It is not known what the long term outcomes are for women with DCIS who have breast-conserving therapy. 

This study had 245 female patients. All of the patients had DCIS. All of the patients were treated with breast-conserving surgery and RT after surgery. They were followed up for 10.6 years after their treatment. 

25.3% of the patients went back for a second surgery to ensure the entire tumor had been removed. 90.2% of the patients had no cancer cells visible in the surrounding breast tissue after surgery. 

After ten years, 1.5% of the patients had the cancer come back in the same breast. The average time to relapse was 8.1 years. 7.9% of patients had the cancer come back in the other breast.

The study found that breast-conserving therapy resulted in low rates of the cancer coming back in the same breast after ten years.

This was a small study. The risk of patients have the cancer in the other breast could be to do with genetic factors that make the person more likely to get cancer again.