The diagnosis and management of pre-invasive breast disease: problems associated with management of pre-invasive lesions.

The treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) involves adequate surgical excision with adjuvant radiotherapy where appropriate. An inadequate excision margin and young age are independent risk factors for local recurrence. Routine surgery to axillary lymph nodes is not recommended in pure DCIS. In localised DCIS, adjuvant radiotherapy is recommended on the basis of tumour size, margin width and pathological subtypes. The role of adjuvant tamoxifen as systemic therapy is controversial. The treatment of atypical ductal/lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ involves surgical excision to exclude coexisting DCIS or invasive disease.