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Rick Baehner, M.D.: The benefit of the DCIS score is that it provides information above
and beyond the traditional measurements. Your radiation oncologist or surgeon would have
traditionally looked at the pathology report and looked at your tumor size or tumor's grade
and whether or not there was necrosis present in order to make a treatment decision. The
DCIS score actually provides new information in addition to those traditional measurements.
The DCIS score uses tissue that was taken at the time of your surgery, so you don't
have to undergo another procedure. The DCIS score measures your tumor biology, the activity
of your genes. This results in a personalized DCIS score. The score of low is associated
with a lower chance or likelihood of you having a DCIS recurrence or invasive recurrence.
On the other hand, if your gene activity is high, your DCIS score can be high and that
is associated with a greater risk of recurrence of DCIS or invasive carcinoma. With this additional
information, you and your physician are able to individualize your treatment plan, so that
you have greater confidence in your decision about whether or not to receive radiotherapy
or not.