In 2011, My Doctor Told Me: “Your Breast is Like Spoiled Soup… It’s Not Worth Saving.”
I Proved Her Wrong. 16 Years Post DCIS — Never “Cancer!” “Highly suspicious for malignancy,” was written on my mammography report in June 2011. NOW, my doctor told me, “It’s likely INVASIVE cancer.” “Active surveillance” had been my personal choice since a diagnosis of intermediate grade DCIS in January 2010. I declined all the “standard […]
“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.
In 2011, My Doctor Told Me: “Your Breast is Like Spoiled Soup… It’s Not Worth Saving.”
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 months religiously implementing holistic diet and lifestyle strategies since a diagnosis of intermediate grade ductal […]
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!
“When is Cancer Not Really Cancer?” — Update from PRECISION (PREvent ductal Carcinoma In Situ Invasive Overtreatment Now)
“PRECISION aims to enable patients and clinicians to make informed, biology-based decisions to avoid unnecessary and burdensome treatment of indolent DCIS. The answer can only be found by synergistic collaboration between leading scientists, clinicians and patient advocates. There is a wide spectrum of DCIS ranging from low to high risk. “Low-risk” means it is more […]
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 […]
DCIS Over-Diagnosis & Over-Treatment: New Facebook Group
Patients, researchers, advocates, journalists and organizations need to work together to understand and communicate better about this serious women’s health issue! Please join a new Facebook Group: DCIS Over-diagnosis and Over-treatment A forum for information, discussion, support, research, education, awareness and advocacy focused on DCIS over-diagnosis and over-treatment.
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 31 — Trick or Truth?
“Galileo’s head was on the block. His crime was looking up the truth.” – Indigo Girls Did you know… Clever TRICKS are used to manipulate the TRUTH about mammography screening. The TRICKS are explained in a Time Magazine article, This One Graphic Will Change the Way You Look at Breast Cancer Screening written by Gerd […]
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 23 — Double Mastectomies for DCIS?
Did you know… “Many women who have DCIS are choosing not to just to get a mastectomy, but to get a bilateral mastectomy and have both breasts removed.” – Otis Brawley, NPR “More women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are choosing to add contralateral prophylactic mastectomy to their treatment, despite the paucity of evidence […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 22 — Screening Doesn’t Save Lives
Did you know… Professor Peter C Gøtzsche shared on Twitter today: “Pink month lies: “Early detection saves lives and breasts.” It doesn’t, and because of overdiagnosis you will reduce your risk of becoming a breast cancer patient by one-third if you ignore summons for mammography screening.” Be sure to watch this important video in its […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 13 — Autopsy Studies Find High % of DCIS
Did you know… A review of autopsy records showed that somewhere between 9% and 15% of women have undetected DCIS at death (Welch, 1997). This supports the idea that a proportion of DCIS occurrences will not progress into invasive cancer or become life-threatening. National Breast Cancer Coalition Conclusion: “Our systematic review in ten countries over […]
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 […]
31 Days of “Little Known” FACTS — For Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Day 8 — Overdiagnosis Devastates Lives
Did you know… Overdiagnosis of DCIS Devastates the Lives of Tens of Thousands of Healthy Women Every Year. In this country, the huge jump in D.C.I.S. diagnoses potentially transforms some 50,000 healthy people a year into “cancer survivors” and contributes to the larger sense that breast cancer is “everywhere,” happening to “everyone.” That, in turn, […]
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, […]
Donna’s 9 Year Update — Top 3 Questions, Lessons Learned, and 2019 Projects
If not for photos with my children… I would not believe it’s been nine years since my journey with DCIS began. TOP 3 QUESTIONS I AM OFTEN ASKED 1. Did I ever have a recurrence of DCIS or invasive cancer? NO! Donna’s Journey starting at Part 2 — June 2011 details my experience with […]
A New Bio-marker Test for DCIS = Peace of Mind for Thousands of Women
If you are one of the 60,000 + women diagnosed with DCIS this year, you now have a way to gain more peace of mind about what to think and do about it. A company called PreludeDx has scientifically validated a bio-marker test which evaluates a woman’s breast tissue sample and provides a “personalized” risk […]
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 […]
Evaluating DCIS treatments — do you know your “survival” statistics?
“There is strong evidence that treatment of DCIS in most women has no clear effect on mortality reduction.” – Finding the balance between over- and under-treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) “Risk of development of metastases and/or death in a patient diagnosed with pure DCIS is very low (<1%).” Ductal Carcinoma-In-Situ of the Breast […]
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, […]
Aggressive Treatments for DCIS — or NOT? New Research Sheds Light
I hope every woman diagnosed with low-risk DCIS today knows they have a great opportunity that did not exist for me (and thousands others) in the past.
I feel an incredible sense of gratitude to all the forces and people that have made the COMET Study possible — to the physicians and cancer centers who are making it available — and to the women who will participate. Thank you!
DCIS Over-treatment Makes Mainstream News — 2015 Highlights
The media madness began in August 2015 following the publication of the most extensive study to date on DCIS in the prestigious medical Journal JAMA Oncology. The study of over 100,000 women concluded there was no “life-saving” benefit to “standard protocol” for DCIS (surgery, radiation and drugs). “The analysis reinforces a growing belief that current treatment […]
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 […]
Video of Donna’s Journey: 2009 – 2015
It’s been 6 years. Click on this link to watch a video summarizing my journey. In addition to empowering women diagnosed with DCIS, I recently created a nonprofit with the mission to empower women to #LiveWELL and #BeWISE. Please check out: Give Wellness. Thank you for your love and support!
DCIS is NOT a “Ticking Time Bomb” — What Women Really Need to Know
Celebrity chef Sandra Lee was told by her doctors she was “a ticking time bomb.” Is it any wonder that she and thousands of women like her are racing to the operating room to amputate both their breasts? Why such radical treatment for DCIS? “Right now, we have women getting bilateral mastectomies for ductal carcinoma […]
Interview with Donna: The Dilemma of Overdiagnosis
Click here to listen to a very important discussion/interview regarding my experiences with DCIS, the problem with mammograms and the “Dilemma of Over-diagnosis.” Thank you Connie Bowman for shining the light on this very important topic on your podcast “HAPPY HEALTHY YOU”!
DCIS is NOT Cancer!
“DCIS is not cancer, so why are we calling it cancer and always treating it like it is cancer?” These are the words of Dr. Laura Esserman, Director of the Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center at the University of California, San Francisco. She posed this question while speaking at the Australian Breast Cancer Conference […]
Active Surveillance Anyone?
Looking for women who are doing “active surveillance” of possible DCIS based on suspicious calcifications from a mammogram. My friend and co-founder of http://www.dcisredefined.org Sandie Walters and I have recently been contacted by someone from an online “cancer” magazine who is looking to interview women who are doing active surveillance of suspicious breast calcifications. Please contact […]
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 […]
Great Gratitude & Great “Finds”
As 2013 comes to a close, I want to express my heart-felt gratitude for all of the wonderful women who have contributed their wisdom, support, resources and personal stories on this site. Four years ago, I felt like I was completely alone in my relentless questioning of the “standard of care” regarding DCIS. Yet I […]
Less Pink – More GREEN: An Intelligent and Urgent Makeover for “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”
by Donna B. Pinto Pinktober is in full swing. Many of us (including me) have eagerly written checks to show support “for the cure.” But what if all the highly successful pink “awareness” campaigns have been focusing time, money and research in the wrong direction? What if “early detection” and screening mammograms don’t really save lives, but actually harm lives? According to Overdiagnosed: Making People […]
The REAL CURE for __________
It’s not in a pill. It isn’t making the headlines. And it’s not simply a plant-based diet, exercise and all the right hormones and supplements. So what is it? In […]
MRI is Better than Mammography for “Early Detection”
A study by researchers at the University of Bonn has shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is more accurate than mammography in diagnosing very early stages of breast cancer. A total of 7319 women were investigated by Professor Kuhl and her colleagues over five years using both methods. In 167 of them they found early […]
Mammograms???
I feel I am one of thousands of women who have been over-treated and harmed by mammograms. I believe our society and most breast cancer organizations put way too much emphasis, money and marketing on mammograms and not enough on breast cancer PREVENTION and improving current treatments for those with harmless pre-cancerous conditions and especially […]
2nd Opinions Matter!!!
I can not stress how grateful I am to Sandie Walters for creating a website “DCIS Without Rads” about her DCIS story and referring me to Dr. Michael Lagios, a 30 year DCIS expert and pathologist who offers a 2nd opinion consultation service. His evaluation of my actual pathology slides brought great peace of mind […]