lobular carcinoma in situ of breast

Last reviewed 01/2018

LCIS commonly occurs in premenopausal women. The incidence is unknown as there are no distinctive clinical or radiologic features. The condition is usually discovered as an incidental finding when a biopsy is made for otherwise benign disease. There are no clear mammographic features. Clinically, it is not palpable and does not tend to metastasize.

LCIS is frequently bilateral and multicentric. It is associated with an eleven-fold increased risk of subsequent invasive carcinoma. There is no relation between the breast in which LCIS is detected and that in which invasive carcinoma occurs. LCIS is regarded as a marker of increased risk anywhere in the breast. Thirty percent of patients develop invasive carcinoma within 15-20 years. This is a lower relative risk than ductal carcinoma in situ.

Management consists of lifelong surveillance by annual mammography and clinical examination. As the majority of patients are premenopausal, the use of Tamoxifen may alter the hormonal milieu and diminish the risk of invasive carcinoma.