How Did We Get There? The Progression from Ductal Carcinoma In Situ to Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

AbstractPurpose of ReviewDuctal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-obligate precursor of invasive breast cancer. Despite numerous studies investigating the progression from in situ to invasive disease, there is still controversy as to the mechanisms by which a DCIS comes to become an invasive cancer. Here, we reviewed the state-of-the-art of the pathologic and molecular characterization of DCIS.Recent FindingsDCIS displays intra-lesion genetic heterogeneity. Single-cell sequencing studies have demonstrated that progression from DCIS to invasive breast cancer is a complex phenomenon, which can vary from lesion to lesion. While in some DCIS, multiple clones have the ability to invade, in others, clonal selection likely takes place.SummaryThe fact that DCIS displays intra-lesion genetic heterogeneity and that progression varies from patient to patient poses formidable challenges for the development of biomarkers to define the risk of progression to invasive breast cancer.
Source: Current Breast Cancer Reports - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research