Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

Request an Appointment

Stages

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a stage 0 breast cancer. The stage is a way to describe the size of the cancer and whether it has spread. Breast cancer stages range from 0 to 4. A lower number means the cancer is less advanced and more likely to be cured. As the cancer grows into the breast tissue and gets more advanced, the stages get higher.

  • Stage 0. When DCIS occurs on its own, it's a stage 0 breast cancer. This means the cancer is found inside a duct and shows no signs of growing into nearby tissue.
  • Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4. Stages 1 through 4 are used for invasive breast cancers. If an area of DCIS is found along with invasive cancer, it's considered an invasive cancer. This includes very small areas of invasive cancer, called microinvasions.

Sometimes tests suggest that the cancer is DCIS, but surgery shows that it is invasive breast cancer. Because of this, the stage might not be known until after surgery.

Request an appointment
Diagnosis & treatmentSurvival rates
Aug. 08, 2026

Living with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?

Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Breast Cancer support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community.

Breast Cancer Discussions

rozv
Has anyone changed from Anastrozole to Exemestane?

27 Replies Fri, Aug 07, 2026

taken58
Has anyone had a swollen lymph node under their armpit?

20 Replies Wed, Aug 05, 2026

thielmann1
Triple Negative Breast Cancer: What treatments are you having?

259 Replies Mon, Aug 03, 2026

See more discussions
  1. Niederhuber JE, et al., eds. Cancer of the breast. In: Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 1, 2024.
  2. Townsend CM Jr, et al. Diseases of the breast. In: Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice. 21st ed. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 1, 2024.
  3. Breast cancer. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/guidelines-detail?category=1&id=1419. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  4. Abraham J, et al., eds. Breast cancer. In: The Bethesda Handbook of Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Kindle edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2023. Accessed March 1, 2024.
  5. Collins LC, et al. Breast ductal carcinoma in situ: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 3, 2026.
  6. Distress management. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/guidelines-detail?category=3&id=1431. Accessed March 1, 2024.
  7. Record SM, et al. How to navigate the treatment spectrum from multimodality therapy to observation alone for ductal carcinoma in situ. Surgical Oncology Clinics of North America. 2023; doi:10.1016/j.soc.2023.05.011.
  8. Breast cancer prevention (PDQ) – Patient version. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-prevention-pdq. Accessed March 1, 2024.
  9. In situ. Dorland's Medical Dictionary Online. https://www.dorlandsonline.com. Accessed June 5, 2026.
  10. Klimberg VS, et al., eds. Bland and Copeland's The Breast: Comprehensive Management of Benign and Malignant Diseases. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2024. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 3, 2026.
  11. Collins LC, et al. Ductal carcinoma in situ: Treatment and prognosis. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  12. Collins LC, et al. Microinvasive breast carcinoma. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 3, 2026.
  13. Bleiweiss IJ. Pathology of breast cancer. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 3, 2026.
  14. Dabbs DJ. Ductal carcinoma in situ. In: Breast Pathology. 3rd ed. Elsevier; 2024. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 5, 2026.
  15. Protocol for the examination of biopsy specimens from patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. College of American Pathologists. https://www.cap.org/protocols-and-guidelines/cancer-reporting-tools/cancer-protocol-templates. Accessed June 4, 2026.
  16. Cribriform. Dorland's Medical Dictionary Online. https://www.dorlandsonline.com. Accessed June 5, 2026.
  17. Delaloge S, et al. Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: Finding the balance between overtreatment and undertreatment. The Lancet. 2024; doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00425-2.
  18. Protocol for the examination of resection specimens from patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. College of American Pathologists. https://www.cap.org/protocols-and-guidelines/cancer-reporting-tools/cancer-protocol-templates. Accessed June 4, 2026.
  19. Tumor grade. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/diagnosis/tumor-grade. Accessed April 16, 2026.
  20. Worni M, et al. Trends in treatment patterns and outcomes for ductal carcinoma in situ. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2015; doi:10.1093/jnci/djv263.
  21. Breast SPOREs. National Cancer Institute. https://dctd.cancer.gov/research/spores/focus-area/breast. Accessed April 17, 2026.
  22. Member institutions. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=%2FPublic%2FInstitutions. Accessed April 17, 2026.
  23. Andreas A, et al., eds. The breast. In: Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology: A Textbook of Medical Imaging. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed July 1, 2026.
  24. AskMayoExpert. Nipple discharge. Mayo Clinic; 2024.

Related

Associated Procedures

Products & Services

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)