Adjuvant therapy in ductal carcinoma in situ
Adjuvant therapy is important to treat cancer without any major metastasis but with a possible micrometastatic involvement, which means that metastatic cells might be circulating in the blood without yet creating a visible clue. In carcinoma in situ, the tumor is restrained in only one area, and the patient is a candidate for lumpectomy with radiation therapy. However, 10% of these patients may have a micro-metastasis. Thus, sometimes, your doctor might advice certain drugs such as tamoxifen, raloxifene, or a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. In other cases, diet, exercise, and avoiding hormonal treatment might be enough to prevent a recurrence.