Male, 50 - one month ago a ductal excision revealed DCIS with focal comedo-necrisis (but non invasive). Local surgeon wants to do mod. mastectomy, and biopsy sentinel lymph node and treat with Tamoxifin.
I visited a regional cancer hospital - their surgeon would do a mod-mastectomy, not bother with lymph nodes or Tamoxifin. They made it sound like no big deal.
I'm wondering how aggressive to be (or not to be).

DCIS is a type of pre cancer that is 100% curable. Most women who are diagnosed with this type of cancer are treated as follows: If the DCIS is wide spread most docs will recommend a mastectomy and follow up with tamoxifin for 5 years (this helps reduce recurrence; local and mets). If the DCIS is localized, usually the doc will recommend a lumpectomy with rads and 5 years of tamoxifin. Usually, with dcis there is no need to do a sentinal node biopsy, unless they find invasive cancer. Find out if the doc thinks there is invasive cancer along with your dcis. If I were you I would do the Tamoxifin.

Good luck and hope this helps.

Karen