Update on the management of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: current approach and future perspectives

Abstract

Abstract The standard treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ became well established through the results of several valuable clinical trials, and its therapeutic benefits have now come to be taken for granted. Ductal carcinoma in situ has an extremely good prognosis with the current treatment approach, with a 10-year breast cancer-specific survival rate of 97–98%. According to one retrospective cohort study, the breast cancer-specific survival rate of patients with low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ does not differ significantly between patients undergoing and not undergoing surgery. Some patients with ductal carcinoma in situ are not at a risk of progression to invasive cancer, but the predictors of such progression have not yet been clearly identified. Therefore, the same therapeutic strategies have been used to treat ductal carcinoma in situ and under the assumption that they have risks of invasive breast cancer, and a well-balanced risk/benefit ratio in respect of treatment has not yet been achieved. Based on the results of several recent clinical trials aimed at ensuring provision of a well-balanced treatment for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ which carries a good prognosis, de-escalation of postoperative adjuvant therapy has now begun. Currently, not only is the optimization of postoperative adjuvant therapy accelerating, but also clinical trials to de-escalate basic surgical treatments are under way. There is a possibility of achieving individualized treatment for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast with reduced treatment intervention. In this review, we present an overview of the current treatment approaches and potential future management strategies for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.