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FEBRUARY 28, 2017

When Does DCIS Require Radiation Therapy?

Age a Key Factor, Says Expert

By Elizabeth Gardner

Chicago—How should clinicians gauge whether to send patients for radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ? Forget ordering a 12-gene assay, and start by looking at their age, according to Kimberly Van Zee, MD, a surgical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), in New York City. Her models show that women younger than 40 years of age have their cancers recur at a rate seven times higher than women older than 80