Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Female Breast

In a Danish nationwide prospective study of in situ carcinoma of the breast, 112 women with ductal carcinoma in situ, treated with excision only, were registered from 1982 to 1987. Within a median follow-up of 53 months, a crude recurrence rate of 22% (25 cases) was found, of which five cases recurred as invasive carcinomas and 20 cases as in situ carcinomas. The histopathologic review included a single-parameter analysis of histological growth pattern, size of lesion, nuclear size, presence of comedonecrosis, and subhistologic type. A strong interrelationship was found for histological growth pattern, nuclear size, and comedonecrosis. These parameters were also significantly related to recurrence. Cases that had clinical symptoms had a high recurrence rate as compared with cases that were discovered by mammography only or incidentally.