Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS)

Q. I’ve heard of a friend of a friend who had LCIS, and she had a lumpectomy, radiation, AND chemotherapy. Was that just to be on the safe side, or what?

A. Some doctors feel that this treatment is helpful, but the mainstream believes that LCIS is NOT cancer, and shouldn’t be treated as cancer. Why put yourself through cancer treatment if you don’t have cancer? If your doctor suggests this cancer-type treatment, it might be wise to get a second opinion. Perhaps, in the end, there’s something about your particular LCIS that makes treatment desirable; but don’t assume that it can be cut out or burned away or killed with chemotherapy because again, LCIS isn’t cancer; it’s a risk factor, and risk factors aren’t something that can be physically eliminated.