Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, causing approximately 670,000 deaths in 2022 alone. Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast grow out of control and form a tumor. However, the progression of breast cancer is more complex than a single event. Breast cancer usually progresses in stages. The stages indicate how far the disease has grown and spread.
These stages range from early stages, when the cancer is confined to the breast, to advanced stages, when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. In this article, we discuss stage 0 breast cancer, where the cancer is confined to the milk ducts and is not invasive. Dr Garvit Chitkara, Senior Consultant, Breast Surgery, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, unravels this mystery and shares why detecting cancer at this stage or earlier is beneficial.
Read more: Dense breasts are a risk factor for breast cancer: What does it mean to have dense breasts?
What is stage 0 breast cancer?
“Stage 0 breast cancer, also known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), is a type of breast cancer that is non-invasive,” Dr. Chitkara said, adding that unlike other stages of breast cancer, where the breast cancer cells have spread beyond the ducts and lobules into the surrounding breast tissue, stage 0 remains confined to the ducts. This means that the abnormal cells have not yet invaded nearby tissue or spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
While stage 0 breast cancer is not life-threatening, it is considered a precursor to invasive breast cancer, which is why early detection and treatment are essential to prevent the cancer from progressing.
Do I need treatment for stage 0 breast cancer?
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), staging breast cancer is an important factor in determining treatment options.
Generally, the more widespread the breast cancer, the more treatment will be needed.
Dr. Chitkara emphasizes that in cases of stage 0 breast cancer, patients often require treatment to prevent the condition from progressing to invasive breast cancer.
Treatment options for DCIS often include surgery, such as a partial mastectomy (removal of abnormal cells and some surrounding tissue) or mastectomy (removal of one or both breasts). Additionally, radiation therapy is often recommended after removal of the tumor to reduce the risk of recurrence.
In some cases, if the cancer cells are hormone receptor positive, doctors may prescribe hormone therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence by blocking hormones that can promote the growth of cancer cells, he added.
Are there any potential risks?
Any disease can become more serious or life-threatening if left untreated or uncontrolled.
Dr Chitkara warns that while stage 0 breast cancer is not immediately life-threatening, if left untreated, DCIS can progress to invasive breast cancer, in which cancer cells spread outside the milk ducts into the surrounding breast tissue and potentially to other parts of the body.
“The exact risk of progression varies and not all cases of DCIS will become invasive, but it is difficult to predict which cases will progress, which is why treatment is often recommended. Furthermore, some cases of DCIS are treated aggressively despite never progressing to invasive cancer, making overdiagnosis and overtreatment a potential risk,” he added.
Read more: Though rare, men can get breast cancer too: Experts share who’s at risk and warning signs
How to detect stage 0 breast cancer early
Doctors say that stage 0 breast cancer rarely shows any noticeable symptoms and is often detected through regular breast cancer screening, especially mammograms.
Mammograms can detect microcalcifications (tiny calcium clusters) in breast tissue that may be a sign of DCIS.
In some cases, a biopsy may be performed to confirm the diagnosis. Because stage 0 breast cancer often doesn’t show any lumps or other obvious signs, regular checkups are important for early detection, doctors concluded.
read more
5 Signs of an Unusual Breast Lump
Disclaimer
