Mapping Ductal Carcinoma In Situ with 3D Ultrasound
The goal of this study is to find a way to see Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) using 3D ultrasound technology.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), stage 0, non-invasive breast cancer, is being diagnosed more often since the onset of mammographic screening. While mammography shows suspicious areas in the breast, much of the DCIS in the duct does not have calcifications and cannot be seen or felt by the surgeon. This makes it difficult for the surgeon to know how much of the breast to remove during surgery. This uncertainty can lead to repeated operations to obtain clear margins, poor cosmetic outcomes, and, for some patients, even mastectomy. Local recurrences are usually areas missed by the initial excision rather than new disease. Being able to see the extent of the disease would allow surgeons to be more effective and provide better outcomes for women.
Once the mapping is achieved it will aid surgeons in locating the extent of disease prior to surgery and obtaining clean margins with better outcomes.
While we are still in the early stages, the goal of this study is to find a way to see DCIS using 3D ultrasound technology. Once accomplished, this will enable us to map the extent of disease prior to surgery and aid surgeons in obtaining clean margins.
In collaboration with our partners, GE Global Research Center, Niskayuna, New Jersey, and The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, New Jersey, we plan to enroll up to 10 women with a recent diagnosis of DCIS for the preliminary research study. In this study, the affected breast will be imaged with 3D ultrasound. Saline is injected into one or more ducts, including the duct with DCIS as well as unaffected ducts. The 3D ultrasound data will be collected and analyzed. Preliminary data from this exploratory study will be used to inform future larger studies.