Stage 0 Breast Cancer Treatment Options

When needed, treatment for stage 0 breast cancer is very successful. The five-year survival rate is about 100%. This very early stage of the disease is not always actually cancer. Instead, it's often a precancerous condition. Treatment isn't always needed, and close observation may be enough. Treatments differ depending on what kind of stage 0 cancer you have. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or intraductal carcinoma is one type. In this condition, abnormal cells appear in the ducts of the breast. Sometimes, these cells become cancerous. That's why it's key to get treatment now. Here's a list of the typical treatments:

• Surgery is a standard. For smaller tumors, you might get a lumpectomy, in which only the abnormal cells and some of the tissue are removed. Some women choose a mastectomy, in which the entire breast is removed. After a mastectomy, you might choose to have breast reconstruction surgery.
• Radiation therapy is standard treatment after a lumpectomy. Radiation therapy attacks any abnormal cells that might have been missed and decreases the risk of another cancer.
• Hormone therapy with tamoxifen after surgery may also help prevent cancer from developing in the same or opposite breast.

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is the other type of stage 0 cancer. LCIS develops when abnormal cells appear in the lobes of the breast. Most women don't need treatment right away. However, LCIS raises the risk of getting cancer. So it's key to have frequent checkups with your doctor. Here are some treatment options:

• Hormone therapy with tamoxifen to lower the risk of developing cancer.
• Bilateral mastectomy -- the removal of both breasts -- is another option. Some women choose this approach because they are worried about getting cancer. They might have certain risk factors, like a strong family history of breast cancer. After surgery, you might choose to get breast reconstruction surgery. However, experts think that a bilateral mastectomy is a more extreme approach than women usually need.