What is the Difference Between Dysplasia and Carcinoma In Situ

The key difference between dysplasia and carcinoma in situ is that dysplasia is the presence of the earliest form of the precancerous lesion within a tissue or organ, while carcinoma in situ is the presence of abnormal cells that have the potential to develop into cancer but have not invaded surrounding tissues or spread to distant sites.

Dysplasia and carcinoma in situ represent the steps of progression toward cancer development. Dysplasia is the earliest form of precancerous lesion recognizable in a biopsy in the laboratory. It is usually a lower grade. It is called carcinoma in situ when dysplasia turns to a higher grade. Moreover, invasive carcinoma, commonly called true cancer, has the potential to invade the surrounding tissues and structures.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Dysplasia 
3. What is Carcinoma In Situ
4. Similarities – Dysplasia and Carcinoma In Situ
5. Dysplasia vs. Carcinoma In Situ in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Dysplasia vs. Carcinoma In Situ

What is Dysplasia?

Dysplasia is a term used to describe the presence of abnormal cells or precancerous lesions within a tissue or organ. Dysplasia is not actually a cancer. However, it can sometimes become a cancer. In a cancer development pathway, the normal cells first convert to a hyperplasia state and then later to a dysplasia state. A higher grade or severe dysplasia ultimately transforms into carcinoma in situ and finally into true cancer.

Moreover, in a hyperplasia state, there is an increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue that can be observed generally under a microscope. In dysplasia, cells look abnormal under a microscope but are still not true cancer cells. Furthermore, hyperplasia and dysplasia states may or may not become cancer. Infections, smoking, and exposure to carcinogenic toxins can cause dysplasia. The typical symptoms of dysplasia are pain, a low red cell count, platelet count, or white blood cell count, brittle hair, abnormal teeth, discolored toenails, dry and scaly skin, short stature, slow growth, unusually large head, short limbs, joint stiffness, and curved bone. Dysplasia can be treated through topical applications, braces, laser surgery, cryo-cauterization, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), and stem cell transplantation.

What is Carcinoma In Situ?

Carcinoma in situ is a higher-grade dysplasia. This condition is characterized by the presence of abnormal cells that look like cancer cells only in the place where they first formed and haven’t spread to nearby tissue. Carcinoma in situ is a condition where cell changes show up or are observed as cancerous under a microscope. The typical symptoms of this condition may include changes in the color or texture of the skin and possibly the nails, white patches that may appear in the mouth, irritation or burning in the eyes that does not go away, and lump development in some regions of the body.

Furthermore, carcinoma in situ can be treated through mastectomy, preventive hysterectomy for cervical cancer, laser surgery, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP/LEETZ), cold knife conization, cryotherapy, excision of a skin patch, and radiation therapy.

What are the Similarities Between Dysplasia and Carcinoma In Situ?

• Dysplasia and carcinoma in situ represent the steps of progression toward cancer development.
• Abnormal cells appear in both dysplasia and carcinoma in situ.
• Both these can be diagnosed through physical examination and skin biopsy.
• They can be treated through specific surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Dysplasia and Carcinoma In Situ?

Dysplasia is the presence of the earliest form of the pre-cancerous lesion within a tissue or organ. At the same time, carcinoma in situ is the presence of abnormal cells that look like cancer cells only where they first formed and haven’t spread to nearby tissue. Thus, this is the key difference between dysplasia and carcinoma in situ. Furthermore, dysplasia is lower grade while carcinoma in situ is higher grade.

The infographic below presents the differences between dysplasia and carcinoma in situ in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Dysplasia vs. Carcinoma In Situ

Carcinogenesis can be divided conceptually into four steps: hyperplasia, dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and true cancer. Therefore, dysplasia and carcinoma in situ represent the steps of the progression toward cancer development. Dysplasia is the earliest form of precancerous lesion or abnormal cells within a tissue or organ, while carcinoma in situ is when cell changes appear cancerous under a microscope. Carcinoma in situ is also called non-invasive cancer or preinvasive cancer. So, this summarizes the difference between dysplasia and carcinoma in situ.

Reference:

1. “Dysplasia – An Overview.” ScienceDirect.
2. “Carcinoma in Situ: Stage 0 Cancer That Hasn’t Spread.” Cancer Center – The City of Hope.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Severe dysplasia” By Coronation Dental Specialty Group – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “In situ carcinoma-en” By Jmarchn – Own work, modified from File:In situ carcinoma.jpg (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia