Counseling Process in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a heterogenous group of intraductal proliferations, without a known natural history and predictability and without being considered an obligatory precursor of invasive ductal cancer. Lack of biological markers of predictability makes its evolution uncertain. Because DCIS is not an obligatory precursor of invasive breast cancer, counselling will not be made like in invasive cancer. Counselling must recognize the uncertainty of progression toward invasive disease and every patient must be correctly and empathically informed so that she is as involved as possible in the decision-making process.