It sounds like you're asking about what your surgical margin measurements mean after DCIS Stage 0 intermediate grade surgery — that's a great question to understand!
Surgical margins refer to the edges of the tissue removed during surgery. The goal is to have "clear" or "negative" margins, meaning no cancer cells are found Show Full Answer
It sounds like you're asking about what your surgical margin measurements mean after DCIS Stage 0 intermediate grade surgery — that's a great question to understand!
Surgical margins refer to the edges of the tissue removed during surgery. The goal is to have "clear" or "negative" margins, meaning no cancer cells are found at the edges, which lowers the risk of the cancer coming back. Your two margins of 0.5mm and 1mm are considered very close or narrow margins. Here's what that generally means:
- 0.5mm margin — This is quite narrow and may be a concern for your care team
- 1mm margin — Also considered close, though slightly better than 0.5mm
- Clear/negative margins — Ideally, surgeons aim for no cancer cells at the edges
Narrow margins like these can sometimes mean a higher risk of the cancer returning in the same area. Because of this, your doctor may recommend:
- Additional surgery (a second lumpectomy or mastectomy) to achieve clearer margins
- Radiation therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence
- Hormone therapy if your cancer is hormone receptor-positive
It's really important to have a detailed conversation with your care team about these results and what next steps make the most sense for your specific situation.
June 27
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