Carcinoma in situ is a term used for early stages of a type of solid tumor, when the cancer cells have still not spread beyond the area where they first developed.
If a breast cancer is termed in situ, it has not yet invaded any of the surrounding fatty or connective tissue, nor has it spread to any other organs of the body.
In association with breast cancer, the term, in situ, refers to ductal carcinoma in situ (also called DCIS, which is cancer that is confined to the ducts of the breasts) or lobular carcinoma in situ (also called LCIS, which is cancer that is confined to the milk-producing lobules of the breasts).
|