Melvin J. Silverstein, MD

In the May, 1997, issue of Oncology News International , the updated eight-year results of NSABP protocol B-17 were reported as presented by Dr. Bernard Fisher in Paris. B-17 randomized patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) into two groups: One group received excision only, the other excision plus postoperative radiation therapy.

Despite the results of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-17, there continues to be debate regarding the most appropriate treatment for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. Numerous clinical, pathologic, and laboratory factors can aid clinicians and patients wrestling with the difficult