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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) may be present in one or both breasts, but it usually isn't visible on a mammogram. The condition is most often diagnosed as an incidental finding when you have a biopsy done to evaluate some other area of concern in your breast.
Types of breast biopsy that may be used include:
- Fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Your doctor directs a very fine needle into the breast. Next, your doctor uses a syringe attached to the needle to collect a sample of cells or fluid for examination.
- Core needle biopsy. A radiologist or surgeon uses a thin, hollow needle to remove several tiny tissue samples. Imaging techniques, such as mammography, ultrasound or MRI, are often used to help guide the needle used in a core needle biopsy.
- Surgical biopsy. A surgeon may perform an operation to remove a portion of the breast for examination.
References
- Abeloff MD, et al. Cancer of the breast. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008:1875.
- Breast cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/breast.pdf. Accessed April 15, 2011.
- Sabel MS. Lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 26, 2011.
- Venkitaraman R. Lobular neoplasia of the breast. The Breast Journal. 2010;16:519.
- Arpino G ,et al. Premalignant and in situ breast disease: Biology and clinical implications. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2005;143:446.
- SEER stat fact sheet: Breast. National Cancer Institute. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html. Accessed May 4, 2011.
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