Sharing the Stage with Chris Wark: A Huge Inspiration Behind DCIS 411

This all took place during a two-day live workshop in Boise, Idaho (April 24–25, 2026): Redefining Cancer: The Science of Healing, led by Chris Wark and Theo Hanson.

A big thank you to my new friend Regan for kindly capturing photos and videos at the event.

In the first clip, I share the shock I felt back in 2010 after being told I needed extreme treatments following a diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS).

Next Chris asked: 

“What is one word that has inspired your journey and what wisdom can you share.”

Listen to my answer:

A true full circle moment with Theo and Kim Hanson

When Theo introduced me, he shared how I played a meaningful role at the beginning of their journey.

Hearing this meant a lot.

When Kim was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, she began searching for “someone like her.”

That search led them to my website, DCIS 411, and they reached out. Amazing — we discovered we lived only 20 minutes from each other in San Diego! I invited Theo and Kim to my home, and after reviewing Kim’s pathology report, I advised a 2nd pathology opinion with an expert pathologist I had a good experience with. That helped shift their path — and they were able to make better decisions from a place of clarity.

Fast forward 12 years…

Kim is thriving, Theo is now coaching cancer patients and leading workshops, and they invited me to share my story and insights at their event.

I didn’t hesitate.

But my story isn’t simple. It doesn’t fit the typical “survivor” narrative.

I have never identified as a cancer patient or survivor.

This is because just two days after my DCIS diagnosis, I found a Medscape article that changed my destiny — and turned me into an investigative journalist!

Experts in the article stated, “DCIS is NOT cancer — it’s a risk factor — and we should not even be looking for it, let alone treating it as if it is “cancer.”

Why there is still so much confusion and controversy with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS).

If you Google it, you’ll see it described as “stage zero breast cancer,” or “an early form of breast cancer.” That message is echoed across media, by celebrities, doctors, major cancer centers, and breast cancer organizations.

But here’s where it gets complicated…

Most cases of DCIS are unlikely to ever cause harm. Most DCIS is the result of tiny white specs called calcifications seen on a routine mammogram in healthy women. A biopsy is done — and bam — Pandora’s box has just been opened!

The challenge is that doctors are not able to reliably distinguish which DCIS cells may become invasive and which will not.

So they treat everyone with the same aggressive treatments as if it were invasive cancer! 

Today, the controversy carries on despite newer research showing 80% of DCIS is harmless and will not become invasive. 

Support groups are filled with women who feel DCIS is a “ticking time bomb,” and they are so frightened that many seek double mastectomies — even for “low-risk” DCIS! 

These issues have fueled ongoing debates for decades:

Is DCIS “cancer,” “pre-cancer,” or “a risk factor?”
Why is it treated similarly to invasive cancer?
Is active monitoring a better path for some women?
What role do diet and lifestyle play in risk reduction?
Why is DCIS “overdiagnosis” and “overtreatment” not communicated clearly to patients? 

After 16 years, it’s still not easy to explain.

That’s why I created DCIS 411 — to bring clarity, along with resources and support for women navigating many questions and emotions that their doctors are not able to help them with.

Over time, my advocacy has gained national attention, including an in-depth interview with Inside Edition in 2018.

This video was shown at the workshop just before I stepped on stage to tell my story.

My presentation began by sharing…

I am now 16 years post DCIS diagnosis — and — I never developed invasive breast cancer, despite scary statements from my doctor in the 2nd slide below… 

I made an informed choice…

Next, I showed charts with clear evidence challenging the “early detection saves lives” theory.

Rise in DCIS incidence with no corresponding decline in late stage breast cancer or reduction in women dying of breast cancer following decades of mammography screening. 

*See Sources below

I read the highlighted quote from the COMET Study:

“Overdiagnosis and overtreatment resulting from mammographic screening have been estimated to be as high as 1 in 4 patients diagnosed with breast cancer although the absence of standard definitions for measuring overdiagnosis has led to much uncertainty around this estimate. The national health care expenditure resulting from false positive mammograms and breast cancer overdiagnosis has been estimated to approach $4 billion annually. There is general consensus that much of this burden derives from the treatment of DCIS; for those estimated 40,000 women per year whose DCIS may never have progressed even without treatment, medical intervention can only harm.”

I talked about the hidden costs of looking for cancer and the “Popularity Paradox” explained by the expert on overdiagnosis, Dr. H. Gilbert Welch

I shared my work as a Patient Advocate in medical research and the personal path I chose — and continue to live by.

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A few more highlights from the workshop

It was pure joy to witness Theo and Chris teach about my favorite topic — Food as Medicine!