[Noninvasive breast carcinomas: anatomicopathological, diagnostic and therapeutic findings]

The carcinoma in situ of the breast is a noninvasive variant of breast cancer which has an favorable prognosis with appropriate management. The widespread use of mammography has contributed to its increased rate of diagnosis. Special attention to the problem of in situ carcinoma is justified by the increasing frequency of its recognition and the controversy surrounding the proper treatment. Carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the breast can be divided in two categories, depending on where it arises: ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). The two histologic kinds of this cancer have distinct pathologic and biologic characteristics, with different therapeutic implication. The author, on the basis of literature on the topic, reviews present studies of DCIS and LCIS with a particular care for the pathology, the diagnostic approaches and the current treatment of these tumors.