Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)

Overview

In this section you can find out about experiences of Ductal Carinoma in Situ (DCIS) by seeing and hearing people share their personal stories on film.

Researchers travelled all around the UK to talk to 39 people in their own homes. Find out what people said about issues such as mammograms, surgery and telling people the news.

We hope you find the information here helpful and reassuring.

You may also be interested in our sections on Breast cancer in women and Breast screening.

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Patricia: Despite what anybody said, I was convinced it was going to be cancer despite what my husband said, what my friend said.

Sue: DCIS was something I had never heard of before. Different friends had had different sorts of breast cancers, but never this DCIS. And what he explained was that some of the biopsies they’d taken showed that they were cancerous, but the others were benign.

Di: The day that we received results, I was told that I had DCIS, and they explained very briefly what it was, but that technically it was pre-cancerous. Which was a relief. And then the next breath they said, so we're going to offer you a mastectomy. And that was appalling.

Beverley: But all of a sudden, I've become very proud of these boobs that I've got. I think I didn't -, took them for granted before, but all of a sudden I'm really proud of them and I flash them around the place. But -.

This section is from research by the University of Oxford.

Supported by:
NHS Breast Screening Programme

Publication date: May 2009.

Last updated: July 2017.

Last reviewed: January 2025.