breast-cancer

Active surveillance for DCIS produces similar survival to immediate surgery—landmark data.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a pre-invasive breast condition often treated with surgery, but its natural history and optimal management are debated. This study found that women who chose active surveillance for DCIS had ipsilateral invasive breast cancer survival rates similar to those who…

Dan Manning

Dan Manning

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Active surveillance for DCIS produces similar survival to immediate surgery—landmark data.

Active surveillance for DCIS produces similar survival to immediate surgery—landmark data.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a pre-invasive breast condition often treated with surgery, but its natural history and optimal management are debated. This study found that women who chose active surveillance for DCIS had ipsilateral invasive breast cancer survival rates similar to those who underwent immediate surgery.

This is clinically important: it suggests that for appropriately selected patients, active surveillance is a safe alternative to surgery, sparing women the complications and psychological burden of immediate surgical intervention. While some patients on surveillance will develop invasive cancer, those who do can still receive curative treatment.

This moves active surveillance closer to a standard option for DCIS.

Key Findings

  • Active surveillance for DCIS produced similar ipsilateral invasive breast cancer survival vs. immediate surgery
  • Women on active surveillance who developed invasive cancer could still be treated with curative intent
  • Active surveillance is a safe option for appropriately selected DCIS patients
  • Findings presented at EBCC meeting—landmark data for DCIS management
  • Supports shared decision-making about immediate vs. surveillance approaches for DCIS

Implications

Active surveillance should be presented as a valid option in shared decision-making for DCIS, particularly for low-risk presentations. This reduces unnecessary surgery and its associated risks including lymphedema and local complications. Patient counseling about monitoring requirements and emotional aspects of surveillance is essential.

Caveats

Meeting abstract; methodological details limited; abstract-only. 'Appropriately selected' DCIS criteria are critical but not specified here. Long-term follow-up data and quality-of-life outcomes matter for the full picture. Some patient subgroups may have different risk profiles requiring surgery.

Source: MedPage Hematology/Oncology — 2026-03-29

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