Lobular carcinoma in situ is a condition where abnormal cells in breast tissue can potentially become cancerous within five years. It is difficult to detect and usually goes unnoticed, but doctors recommend medication or surgery to reduce the risk of developing cancer in the future. The condition is usually asymptomatic and affects women between the ages of 20 and 50. Treatment options include hormone therapy and surgery.
Lobular carcinoma in situ refers to a set of abnormal cells in the breast tissue that can potentially turn cancerous within about five years. The condition is difficult to detect and typically goes unnoticed unless a biopsy of the breast tissue is done to check for another problem. Although lobular carcinoma in situ itself does not cause physical symptoms, most doctors encourage patients to take medications or undergo surgery to reduce their risk of developing cancer in the future.
Female breasts contain several hundred lobules, glands that produce milk. Lobular carcinoma in situ occurs when cells along the inner lining of a lobule begin to grow unusually large and replicate at a rapid rate. Doctors don’t know what triggers the abnormal development of the cells, but genetics are suspected to play a role. The condition can be present in only one breast or affect lobules in both breasts. Women between the ages of 20 and 50 are most often affected, and only about 25% of patients diagnosed with lobular carcinoma in situ ever develop malignant breast cancer.
Women with lobular carcinoma in situ are unlikely to experience symptoms. There are usually no noticeable changes in the look or feel of the breasts. As a result, most cases of lobular carcinoma in situ are either never diagnosed or recognized only after the cells become cancerous and start causing health problems. Some cases are discovered incidentally following tests to investigate suspicious lumps or cysts in a breast.
Once lobular carcinoma in situ is identified, your doctor can describe the condition in detail and explain the different treatment options. It is usually impossible to predict whether or not abnormal cells will ever become cancerous, but steps can be taken to reduce the risk. Many doctors and patients prefer to avoid treating the initial condition and instead schedule regular breast exams to see if any changes are starting to occur.
If early treatment is desired, a common option is to take a synthetic hormone supplement that inhibits estrogen activity in the breast. Drugs such as tamoxifen and raloxifene block estrogen signals that normally trigger cell replication, thereby slowing or stopping the growth of abnormal cells. Finally, surgery to remove part or both of the breasts may be considered if a patient is thought to be at extremely high risk of developing breast cancer. Most cases of lobular carcinoma in situ resolve entirely with hormone therapy and surgery.
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