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
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 listen via podcast here. When we know better, we do better. #BeW I S E is a […]
Awesome Interview!! Inspiration for DCIS 411 — Informed Choices and Healthy Living Over Fear Fear Fear!
Cynthia Toussant and I discuss how we KNEW IN OUR GUT something wasn’t right with the immediate rush to surgically remove DCIS!
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 10 — UNACCEPTABLE Rates of Failed Surgeries & When to Say “NO MORE”
Did you know… The percentage of women who need a 2nd or 3rd surgery after a lumpectomy, (also called breast conserving surgery (BCS) or partial mastectomy) is alarmingly high — especially for DCIS (stage ZERO breast cancer). One study showed 48% to 59%. I wrote The Insanity of DCIS Surgery after a 2nd surgery in Oct […]
DCIS Support — Find Your Tribe on Facebook!
There are five distinctly different “DCIS support groups” on Facebook. Some have strict rules. Differing viewpoints have led to heated debates and frustrations. Hopefully everyone can find a support tribe they most align with. Some may feel they benefit from joining more than one group. Below are perspectives and descriptions of differing DCIS Facebook “support […]
Thankful for PCORI & Patient-Centered Research
I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting of PCORI — Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Three days of presentations and panel discussions all focused on one recurring theme: Patient voices, preferences, values, experiences, and outcomes matter. I felt like I was in patient advocate heaven. Suzannah Fox, former Chief Technology Officer of the […]
What is “Low-risk” DCIS & Why is The COMET Study Urgently Needed?
The COMET Study is the nation’s first prospective, randomized clinical trial aimed at resolving an ongoing debate about the best way to manage “low-risk” DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), also known as “stage zero” breast cancer. “This is a trial whose time has come. Many of us have felt for two decades that this study […]
DCIS — Beyond “One-Size Fits-All”
Today, women newly diagnosed with DCIS have more support, options, and resources than ever before. Below are eight ways to help you create an “individualized” and empowered plan-of-action… #1. CONFIRM YOUR PATHOLOGY Dr. David J Dabbs, Prelude Dx Second Opinion Service Dr. Jean Simpson #2. ASK YOUR DOCTOR TO ORDER A BIOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT TEST […]
DCIS Decision-Making — What Makes Us Different?
Why is it that a majority of women diagnosed with DCIS choose the path of “standard” aggressive treatment (mastectomy or lumpectomy plus weeks of radiation and years of “prevention” drugs), while a small minority say “NO WAY — this is OVER-TREATMENT?” Is it fear of invasive breast cancer and potential early death? Is it a […]
Women Empowering Women — Shifting the Paradigm
A phenomenal thing happens when women become educated and empowered. Inspiration. Motivation. Passion. Connection. Action. This is the fuel igniting a paradigm shift in women’s health. Women sharing their personal experiences. Their concerns and fears. Their desire for truth and justice. Their vision for health-care without harm. Empowering one another to listen to that small […]
Why the “Standard of Care” Must Change
Despite clear evidence from the most extensive study to date on DCIS — that there is no benefit to surgery, radiation and drugs (“standard of care” treatment for DCIS) — and despite significant harms of these treatments — doctors will most likely not be making any protocol changes. During a KPBS interview, Dr Reema Batra, stated the “standard […]
ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE — DO YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE HAD THIS AS A TREATMENT OPTION?
Some doctors are studying whether Active Surveillance (following you closely and not operating on you unless you get cancer) may be a good alternative to surgery for DCIS. Do you wish you were offered Active Surveillance as a treatment option after being diagnosed with DCIS from a biopsy? If you had the same diagnosis today and […]
My Latest MRI Results…
“Normal findings. Nothing suspicious. No evidence of DCIS.” – Dr. Richard Reitherman, Medical Director of Breast imaging, Memorial Care Breast Center, Laguna Hills, CA — Feb. 3, 2014 How many Medical Directors are gracious enough to give out their direct cell # and actually answer the phone to discuss MRI results with patients? Praise for […]