Category Archives: Health

On a Mission to Help Women Avoid Harms of Mammography Screening — Donna Pinto Shares Her Story with Dr. Jenn Simmons — Breast Surgeon Turned Functional Medicine Doctor

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Donna Pinto

Thanks to Dr. Jenn Simmons for inviting me on her podcast. My story is one story among tens of thousands of women harmed every year. Please watch this video and share with your women friends and family… You can also … Continue reading →

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In 2011, My Doctor Told Me: “Your Breast is Like Spoiled Soup… It’s Not Worth Saving.”

Posted on September 1, 2023 by Donna Pinto

I Proved Her Wrong. (My 2023 Update by Donna Pinto) “Highly suspicious for malignancy,” was written on my mammography report in June 2011. “The pre-cancerous cells might now be INVASIVE CANCER,” my doctor said. I had spent the last 18 … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Overdiagnosis & Overtreatment, Personal Stories | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments

Stage 0 DCIS Saga — Guest Blog by Lynn Good

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Donna Pinto

Thank you for this blog; it has been a great help to me. My family doctor pressed me to get a mammogram a couple of months ago. I am 70 years old and had had a mammogram 16 months before. … Continue reading →

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No Surgery for DCIS — Studies and Support

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Donna Pinto

Research shows that at least 3 out of 4 women (75%) with DCIS that is not treated will not get a future invasive breast cancer. PLS for “Genomic analysis defines clonal relationships of ductal carcinoma in situ and recurrent invasive … Continue reading →

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Great News about SonoCine Automated Breast Ultrasound — A Message from Dr. Kevin Kelly

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Donna Pinto

Many of us have wondered — who will replace Dr. Kevin Kelly when he officially retires? I am happy to share this message I received from Dr. Kelly’s office via email this week… To My Dear Patients, As you know, … Continue reading →

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DCIS is NOT Breast Cancer — An Online Support Group Leading a Paradigm Shift

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Donna Pinto

A paradigm shift is defined as “an important change that happens when the usual way of thinking about or doing something is replaced by a new and different way.”

DCIS – Is Not Breast Cancer! — an online support group created in 2020 — has quickly attracted over 1.5k women with approximately 25 new requests to join each week. Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Options, Overdiagnosis & Overtreatment, Personal Stories, Sanity, Support | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

The Case for NO TREATMENT of Low-risk DCIS 

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Donna Pinto

“Many DCIS lesions will never progress to IBC during the patient’s lifetime [3]. Biopsy review studies of patients where DCIS was initially misdiagnosed as benign and thus not treated after biopsy suggest that up to 85% of all DCIS will … Continue reading →

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Overdiagnosis – “That’s Not Even a Word”

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Donna Pinto

I remember in 2012, when I first came across the term “overdiagnosis,” I told my dad that I felt this is what had happened to me. His reply to me was: “Donna that’s not even a word.” I said, “Dad, this … Continue reading →

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Lions, Tigers and Fears — the Cultural Problem of DCIS

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Donna Pinto

“There’s a hysteria around breast cancer. The extremism that sometimes comes into play in DCIS treatment decision making is a ‘cultural problem.’ This is not a life-threatening problem.”   – Dr. Anne Partridge, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Shock + Scary … Continue reading →

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Reflections on My 12 Year DCIS Anniversary…

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Donna Pinto

On this day, January 19, 2010 — 12 years ago — I was given a diagnosis that brought my happy life to a screeching halt. I had never heard of DCIS before, but from the moment a nurse told me … Continue reading →

Posted in Health | 12 Comments