>>> over 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in this country alone. as you and your family may know all too well. another 50,000 get a diagnosis that is less clear, when they're told they have a precancerous condition. there are new findings tonight that could help clear up some of the confusion and help people make more informed decisions about their health care . our report tonight from our chief science correspondent robert bazell .
>> reporter: after a mammogram dorothy learned she had something called dcis.
>> you're going to tell me i have cancer and i have stage zero? and it's not real invasive cancer? i was not only fearful, i was confused.
>> what some people call a precursor to cancer.
>> reporter: a breast radiologist says dcis consists of cancer cells that are inside the milk ducts.
>> we take out a little bit of that tissue.
>> reporter: doctors cannot be sure if it will spread or can be treated with radiation or mastectomy.
>> there's a percentage that will never go on to develop invasive be cancer. but a certain percentage will go on to develop invasive cancer.
>> reporter: today's study finds that a genetic test can help with the decisions about how to treat these cases. it gives a indicating how high the risk is.
>> good news for women?
>> it's really huge news for women. it allows us to begin to make individualized treatment decisions.
>> reporter: the results are part of a big movement to use genetic markers to taylor treatment so every cancer patient gets the best possible care.
>> only one quarter of the patients need radiation.
>> now we can look and say, what is your specific risk ? are you in the three quarters that have a very low risk?
>> sometimes this will just stay in a woman's ducts for the rest of her life, and she'll never have a life threatening disease?
>> that's correct.
>> reporter: robert bazell , nbc news, san antonio .
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