Increasingly, researchers suggest the definition has changed
(NEWSER) - Stage 0 breast cancer: Despite the zero, it sounds scary, and would have many patients anticipating surgery—even though it may not technically be cancer. Stage 0 breast cancer, also known as ductal carcinoma in situ, is defined as abnormal cells clustered inside the breast's milk ducts. It is not, at this stage, invasive, and while it could spread, it could also go away on its own. A panel of experts suggested removing “carcinoma” from its name two years ago, but for now it remains, officially, cancer. It is just one of several conditions causing researchers to realize that, in many cases, the loaded word "cancer" is applied to conditions with wildly different prognoses—often making it misleading, the New York Times reports. More»
