“88% of DCIS is Overtreated.” — A Breast Surgeon Explains the Evidence
Over 60,000 woman every year are diagnosed with non-invasive Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) — commonly called “stage zero” breast cancer. Most are rushed into surgery, radiation & drugs. Most are not informed about overdiagnosis & overtreatment. DCIS 411 amplifies research educating women to make more informed decisions. Listen to this 1 minute clip explaining […]
CheatSheet — Stay Healthy & Avoid DCIS (“Stage Zero Breast Cancer”) Overdiagnosis & Overtreatment
Every year I give a personal update and I try to simplify information based on the latest research, technology, and common sense! Think of the image above like a CheatSheet. It’s a one-page summary of 16 years of insights, endless hours of research, hundreds of blog posts, nutrition studies/certification, and nonprofit advocacy! To access links, […]
DCIS — New BMJ Study Supports Active Monitoring
A new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) July 2025, adds to growing evidence that many women with a DCIS diagnosis may want to consider an active monitoring approach.
Presidential Proclamation on Healthy Life Habits for Cancer Prevention
An official Presidential Proclamation declaring April 2024 as the inaugural National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month states: “Healthy life habits — like maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing exposure to tobacco smoke — can prevent certain cancers, so we are working to help all Americans get and stay healthy. Our National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, […]
Lumpectomy’s Little Secret: Women Uninformed about High Re-Excision Rates & Mastectomies for DCIS
Women are often told lumpectomy is an easy surgery. One and done. Yet… more often than not, this is NOT the case. In fact, studies report up to 70% of the time, a 2nd surgery is needed due to “positive margins” for DCIS. It happened to me in 2011. After a DCIS diagnosis in January […]
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 […]
DCIS is NOT Breast Cancer — An Online Support Group Leading a Paradigm Shift
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.
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!
Mis-Diagnosed with DCIS at Age 26 and 38 Weeks Pregnant: How Intuition, Non-stop Research and a 2nd Pathology Opinion Changed My Life
My gut and intuition told me to research my head off and to understand what’s going on. I learned very fast that just because you have a “low grade” “stage zero” breast cancer that doesn’t mean the treatment is less than any other INVASIVE breast cancer.
DCIS & Cryoablation? Guest Blog
My Croablation Journey by Christine B. I was diagnosed with DCIS stage 0 grade 2 June 2017. I was immediately turned over to a surgeon who strongly suggested a lumpectomy, radiation, and a hormone blocker. Better yet a mastectomy due to my small breasts. I had never heard of DCIS until I was diagnosed! So […]
Nutrition 411: Donna’s Inspiration, Recipes & Links
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates A Health Warrior is Born On January 19, 2010, I was diagnosed with DCIS. I was 44 and had two young children. Hearing the word “carcinoma” was terrifying. Hearing the aggressive treatments was equally terrifying — and nothing made any sense to me. Despite being […]
The Value of Recording Physician Consultations
Recording consultations with physicians is extremely valuable, especially with regards to obtaining results of screening or diagnostic tests, biopsies, surgeries, or discussions about future cancer risks, or potential treatments. Recording the consultation enables: ability to glean important information missed or not comprehended due to information overload, shock, language or hearing issues, etc. ability to share […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 30 — NO “Survival” Benefit of Aggressive Treatments for DCIS — Women Not Informed
Did you know… Women diagnosed with DCIS, also known as “stage ZERO” breast cancer, are often rushed into extremely aggressive treatments (surgery, radiation and drugs) that actually have no survival benefit… yet this information is often not told to them. Instead women are given confusing “risk reduction” statistics with each of the “standard of care” […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 28 — Risks of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy! New Study Shows NO Benefit for DCIS
Did you know… Despite experts not recommending sentinel lymph node biopsies, between 17% and 40% of women with DCIS currently undergo this unnecessary procedure that comes with serious side effects. Risks of sentinel lymph node biopsies: Pain, wound infection, and lymphedema, a painful condition that can restrict a woman’s arm movements. Patient advocate Ann Fonfa, […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 27 — Grade “F” in DCIS Communication
Did you know… Some health-care providers get an “F” in communication. Celebrity chef Sandra Lee said her doctors told her DCIS was a “ticking time bomb.” In January, 2010, when I brought an article, Take Carcinoma Out of DCIS and Ease Off Treatment, to show a breast surgeon about my preference for “active surveillance” of […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 25 — Unbiased 2nd PATHOLOGY opinion is a MUST
Did you know… Aggressive treatments for DCIS are based on pathology — and 25% may be wrong. This happened to me. I had several opinions and 3 different pathology reports. My gut told me something was not right and I needed to keep investigating. Luckily I was referred to expert pathologist, Dr. Michael Lagios. He […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 24 — The Word “Cancer” is Scary & Misleading for DCIS
Did you know… Several breast cancer experts over the last 10+ years have questioned whether the word “carcinoma” should be removed from DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ). “Because of the noninvasive nature of DCIS, coupled with its favorable prognosis, strong consideration should be given to remove the anxiety-producing term “carcinoma” from the description of DCIS.” […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 6 — Pinkwashing 101
Did you know… The definition of Pinkwasher: A company or organization that claims to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon product, but at the same time produces, manufactures and/or sells products that are linked to the disease. Breast Cancer Action, coined the term pinkwashing and created a Think Before You Pink® campaign. […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 1 — Mammograms
Did you know… One of the largest studies ever on mammograms indicated they do not reduce cancer deaths. Listen to this short video with Dr. Joann Elmore, an expert in mammography… “This study adds to an accumulation of data… Multiple large studies.” “We’re not seeing the benefit from mammography that we had hoped.” “The more […]
The Importance of Being Informed, Treated with Compassion, and Advocating for Active Surveillance — Nancy Riopel’s Enlightening DCIS Story
“Please, if you take one thing from my experience, consider the importance of being informed and being willing to advocate for the treatment options that you feel are best for you. I am not DCIS, I am not a ‘tumor’ and I am not just a ‘patient’. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, […]
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 […]
Active Surveillance P L U S (Proactive – Lifestyle – Understanding – Support) — Donna’s Vision
“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, […]