Breast Surgery Margins

It all depends on how 'big' that one area of microcalcifications is. the goal is to get around the 'area' with clean tissue surrounding. You will need radiation afterward but may be able to get a shortened course - accelerated partial breast irradiaton. Also you may need hormonal therapy - anti-estrogen depending if your DCIS has estrogen receptors in the cells.

This is true. In the United States, most surgeons cannot get clear margins approximately 20% of the time after lumpectomy. This is because of microscopic disease which is disease that is too small to see with the naked eye. I always explain to may patients that some tumors have these microscopic extensions which is impossible to see during the surgery. Only the pathologist can see this small disease when examining the tissue under the microscope. Some surgeons always take additional margins at the time of lumpectomy in order to decrease the 20% need for reexcision.