“Active surveillance” of a potential cancerous condition through periodic medical imaging in itself can be extremely stressful — and the anxiety, worry and fear of cancer developing or progressing may not go away as time goes on. 
Active Surveillance P L U S is my vision. It is a holistic approach to cancer prevention, risk reduction and optimal wellness — and this strategy should not be considered “alternative.”
P L U S stands for Proactive – Lifestyle – Understanding – Support
P R O A C T I V E
Action and result-oriented strategies which can help reduce cancer risk and keep us feeling empowered, supported, centered, optimistic, and healthy (body, mind & spirit). See “Proactive Breast Health Club.”
L I F E S T Y L E
Holistic wellness is not a diet or exercise plan. It is a combination of influential factors — a way of living, thinking and being — supported by scientific evidence to be protective against cancer. See Anticancer Living: The Mix of Six
U N D E R S T A N D I N G
Knowledge is power. Investigate until you have a deep understanding of both your individual medical condition and how the body heals through a combination of holistic mind-body-spirit strategies. Review Donna’s resources here; read articles and watch videos compiled by Donna and Sandie Walters here.
S U P P O R T
Support is a critical factor in optimal health outcomes. See ways to stay connected below.
Donna’s Vision…
Active Surveillance P L U S is…
- recognized as standard “preventative care” which significantly reduces cancer-care costs, stress and unnecessary harm.
- embraced and encouraged by all (including medical professionals).
- not considered “alternative.”
- covered by insurance.
- inclusive of safe imaging modalities with women’s personal values and preferences taken into consideration.
Ways to Stay Connected & Supported:
- DCIS Integrative Support & Empowerment
- DCIS – Is Not Breast Cancer!
- Donna’s Choice: Global Healing from the Inside Out
- Proactive Breast Health Club (“join” to receive periodic articles)
- DCIS 411 Blog, Facebook page, @DCIS411 (“like” and “follow”)
- DCIS Redefined “Stories” ( Read others and share yours)
- give wellness (nonprofit initiative inspired by Donna Pinto’s journey with DCIS)
DCIS 411 
I’ve been living a cancer resistant lifestyle since my DCIS diagnosis in 2012 and haven’t had the standard of care treatment though I did submit to two MRIs and a second biopsy in 2015. My friend Tim is now faced with a cancer diagnosis of a lesion on his vocal chord and is told it is: keratinizing well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.
Do you happen to know of any online support groups for a different but also common cancer diagnosis?
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Hi Chrys, sorry for the delayed reply. I would recommend anyone newly diagnosed with cancer to check out http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com and read the book Anti-cancer. Also check out other books under the “resources” tab. There are lots of Facebook groups for alternative cancer treatments as well. Hope you have found some help and please let me know if you need more resources/support. Blessings, Donna
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Thanks Donna for your ideas here about Active Surveillance PLUS !!! I have been appalled that “active surveillance” has been defined as doing “nothing different” along with monitoring with mammograms that provide radiation which can only make the situation worse. It has been like saying, “We know you have a problem in the making, but let’s just wait until it becomes a problem, and we will help that happen quicker with more mammograms, and then we can justify mutilating your body because now you have invasive cancer so it is too late to do anything to reverse or prevent the problem” — it just sounds ignorant to me. In all fairness, I do think this type of thinking is encouraged by the fact that insurance only pays for standard of care and none of the main medical industry makes money from the things you suggest above because they do not offer those services. There are also many other active, non-invasive, healthy treatments that reduce or reverse the cancer risk, also not paid by insurance. I do understand the reluctance of the medical industry to recommend anything that they cannot “guarantee” the results of , like the % they have attached to non-recurrence due to radiation therapy; they really like black/white. And I have noticed that what the medical industry offers is what THEY do so they have control over the treatment; if they recommend that you change your situation by what YOU do, then they do not have control to enforce that you follow thru properly and do your part, and THEY RISK GETTING BLAMED when you do not get a good outcome by you not being diligent to do your part. Thanks for all you do for the DCIS patients and watching our backs and supplying support.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and being another voice for women to understand! It’s up to those of us that know to share the truth and awaken others. Bless you!! ❤️
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