Surgery is the main treatment for DCIS. The operation you have depends on the size and position of the DCIS and your own preference. Your surgeon and breast care nurse will talk to you about your options.
Your surgeon will usually recommend surgery that keeps as much of the breast and its shape as possible. This surgery is called a wide local excision (WLE).
In some situations, the surgeon may recommend having the whole breast removed (mastectomy). The surgeon may take a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) during the mastectomy operation. This is to make sure that there is no small invasive cancer present which has spread to the lymph nodes.
You can usually choose to have breast reconstruction (making a new breast shape) at the same time as the mastectomy or later. Some women may decide not to have breast reconstruction at all.