October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and one part of the breast cancer conversation that deserves more attention is DCIS.
This year, it’s estimated that 321,910 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Another 60,730 women will be diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), also known as “stage 0 breast cancer.”
DCIS differs from invasive breast cancer because the abnormal “pre-cancerous” cells are contained inside the milk ducts and have not spread to surrounding breast tissue.
The controversy around DCIS is that up to 80% of DCIS cases may never progress into invasive breast cancer, but women are often rushed into aggressive, disfiguring treatments out of fear.
This is why I wanted to talk with DCIS expert Donna Pinto. Donna was diagnosed with DCIS in 2010 and was told she had two options: a partial mastectomy plus radiation or a full mastectomy.
Donna didn’t like the options she was given, so she started researching and made drastic changes to her diet and lifestyle. She focused on vegetables, raw foods, green juices, and nutrient-dense plant foods. One month later, her pre-surgical MRI was clear. Her DCIS had healed.
In 2011, Donna founded DCIS 411 to help women better understand their diagnosis and treatment options. She has also served as a patient advocate and researcher with the COMET and PRECISION studies.
The COMET randomized clinical trial compared active monitoring versus standard treatment, including surgery, for women with certain types of low-risk DCIS. At two years, active monitoring was found to be just as safe as immediate treatment.
I’m thankful for Donna and the work she’s doing to educate and empower women to make informed decisions and not be rushed into treatment out of fear. Enjoy!
Watch our interview below, or listen to it on the Chris Beat Cancer podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Show Notes
-Why Donna questioned aggressive treatment for her DCIS diagnosis [2:30]
-Donna’s diet and lifestyle changes [4:15]
-DCIS over-diagnosis and over-treatment [8:30]
-Should DCIS even be called stage 0 breast cancer? [13:24]
-Absolute vs. relative risk and why the difference matters [15:58]
-The controversy around mammography [23:44]
-What women should know about mammography statistics [25:24]
-Four pathology reports with different results [29:05]
-What the COMET study says about active monitoring [33:30]
-What newer research suggests about DCIS becoming invasive [34:10]
-The importance of advocating for your choices [40:20]
-Becoming an informed and empowered patient [43:22]
Connect with Donna:
Website: www.DCIS411.com
Facebook: DCIS 411
Instagram: @DCIS411
X: @DCIS411
Other interviews mentioned during the interview:
Dr. Dean Ornish – UnDo It! How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases
Dr. Jenn Simmons, author of The Smart Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer, on protecting yourself from PET/CT and mammogram radiation and new safe screening options
Dr. Jenn Simmons on the truth about mammograms and the best diet for breast health
Resources mentioned during the interview:
Dr. Michael Greger’s 14-part series on mammograms
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I created a coaching program and a private online support community to help you survive and thrive through cancer. The SQUARE ONE Program contains the step-by-step strategies used by myself and many others who have healed cancer with a holistic approach using evidence-based nutrition and natural non-toxic therapies.
This Post Has 9 Comments
Thank you for this interview. I found it Super informative. I’m going to follow up with a question..
This diagnosis is EXACTLY what I was diagnosed with in 2009! And I went through the entire rigamarole! One doctor pushed surgeries and fear so badly, I went with his recommendation. The first surgery did not have clear margins, and a second surgery was required. Then several weeks of radiation. I’ve been cancer free for 17 years now. After my diagnosis, two sisters and my mother actually found cancerous tumors/lumps and had to have surgeries and mastectomies. Thank you for this informative interview!! I wish I’d have know then what I know now!
loved this interview. thsnk you Chris. you helped me back in 2018. I am thankful.
This is exactly what I was diagnosed with in 1997. I was 36 years old. They said I had a lump. It was 2cm, Stage 2. It was diagnosed as DCIS. The lump was removed, resulting in disfigurement and I was told to take 5 weeks of radiation. NO LYMPHNODE involvement but they removed ALL 19 nodes. Stayed cancer free til 2010. Had a few small cells show up on a mammogram. Told the same Dr to remove cells and surrounding tissue. Took Tamoxifin for a year and a half. I was good til 2020. Metastatic Carcinoma with Breast Primary. Cancer cells traveled upward to my clavicle lymph nodes. I’m Cancer Free today. Basically keeping my body ALKALIZED vs Acidic. Thanks for the info.
Hello Miss Judy, I like your story could you help me and let me know how you can keep your body alkalized please do you have some specific fruits Vegetables meat whatever you eat do you have a list of those and you can help me to get that too I really appreciate Lucci Simonca can find me on Facebook or messenger please I’ll wait for your reply. Thank you and God bless you.
This is my story too! Biopsy, followed by a lumpectomy….what lump? Cells were all contained in my milk ducks. Elected to have double mastectomy. Well…6 years later I’m stage 4 with bone Mets. Was placed in palliative care. Fought my way back, however I’m on anastrozole and Herceptin for life. In my humble opinion the biopsy and the lumpectomy are the reasons the cells got loose. They cut through all the milk ducts and released those cells into my body. Now I’m living with Stage 4 breast cancer with bone Mets.
Chris Warks lovely face on my screen talking about cancer recovery and lifestyle change kept me going ..l had a routine mamogram show a small lump on my breast. 2 day later l had a biopsy and then surgery they removed 3 lymph nodes with the lump..all clear ..they recomended tamoxifam for 5 years .. 2 weeks of taking it l developed sharp pains in my fingers and wrists ..(l have strong gardening hands) so l asked the Dr. he said its a side effect of the drug..arthritis! (who want that as a side..) thats when l really searched: found Chris and a lot of questions l had were answered also a friend said to me..wow …don’t you trust God? your cancer is gone Thank God. !lts not in your lymphs! its totally gone! Live right! Why take meds that make you weak give you pain ..so 2 weeks not 5 years my replacment was smoothies l went to a SDA health spa in Bulgaria came back after 10 days with super energy a great form ..that was 9 years .l am a grateful 65 year old Nana of 5 ..This work of Chris Wark has been recomended all over the world
Thank you, Chris, for this program. I had uterine cancer and had a hysterectomy. Then 3 years ago they told me I had cancer in the right breast. I opted to have a double mastectomy. I had Aunts who died from cancer on both sides of my family. I had a sister die from it. My mom was a survivor of Breast cancer and lung cancer twice. With the history of cancer in my family, I opted for the double mastectomy. I wish I would have known all of this before. But I am going to keep following You so I can help my children and grandchildren.
Thank you so very much for all the great info.