The expression of survivin, an inhibiting factor of apoptosis, was also significantly higher in DCIS-Mi (85.7%) than in DCIS (55.8%) (P = 0.0048), while the expression of another apoptosis inhibitor (Bcl-2) tended to be found more frequently in DCIS-Mi (78.6%) than in DCIS (58.8%), although this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.071). This evidence concerns the gene BIRC5 and ductal breast carcinoma in situ.