Ayushmann Khurrana's Wife Diagnosed With Breast Cancer; All About DCIS!

Ayushmann Khurrana's Wife Tahira Kashyap revealed over the weekend that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The cancer was detected in her right breast; the other breast is unaffected by it. Specifically, she has been diagnosed with DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ. DCIS was detected along with high-grade malignant cells.

She is being treated for it since last one week and is back to normal now.

Let’s try to know more about this disease:

What is DCIS?

DCIS is a type of breast cancer. This is a non-invasive type of the disease. It is quite prevalent; one in five new breast cancer cases are of DCIS type. More than 60,000 cases of DCIS type of breast cancer are detected per year in the US alone.

In DCIS:

• “D” stands for Ductal. This symbolises that cancer has started from milk ducts. 
• “C” stands for Carcinoma. This refers to any cancer that starts from skin or tissues. In case of breast cancer, this refers to the fact that DCIS starts from breast tissue.
• “IS” stands for In-Situ. This means “in its original place”.

DCIS is called a non-invasive type of breast cancer because it hasn’t yet spread to other tissues, apart from the original milk duct, where it originated.

How is DCIS Detected?

Like any other breast cancer, DCIS is also detected with the help of a Mammogram. A mammogram is like an X-Ray of the breasts. It reveals the presence of cancerous cells in the breasts. Mammograms have been becoming more accurate over time and have now better detection ratio.

But how to know if someone needs to get Mammogram done? The simplest test of that is regular self-analysis of breasts. If some nodules or hard parts are felt, then it is better to consult a doctor, who can further recommend a Mammogram.

Treatment Options for DCIS?

There are multiple treatment options for DCIS. The first option is a breast-conserving surgery. In this, the abnormal cells are removed. Also, tissue from some other body parts can be added to breasts to fill the void that is created. In case of Tahira Kashyap, tissues from her back were inserted into her breast.

Sometimes the surgery can also be combined with follow-on radiation treatment.

Is DCIS Fatal?

The good news is that DCIS is not life threatening. If it is detected early on, it can be easily cured. However, one negative aspect associated with DCIS is that a person who has DCIS has a higher probability of getting breast cancer. In fact, the recurrence ratio is around 30%. The recurrence can happen within 5-10 years.

If a patient got radiation therapy, along with the surgery, then chances of recurrence reduce to 15%.

Tahira Kashyap put out a long Instagram post about her condition. This was pretty brave on her part, as she not only acknowledged the presence of this disease, but also encouraged others to take this seriously, and get regularly tested.

DCIS is non-fatal but can be followed up by the more fatal forms of breast cancer. So, if there is any symptom of it, immediately contact the doctor to rule out the possibility of it.