Patient Advocacy in DCIS Controversies
Patient Advocacy
DCIS 411 is the only website and resource focused specifically on helping women understand the controversies around Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) from a patient-centered perspective.
DCIS 411 was founded by Donna Pinto in 2011 due to a gap in information. No resource specific to DCIS existed. And most breast cancer organizations, centers, medical experts, patient forums, and support groups, ignored or downplayed the DCIS controversies.
A handful of experts were speaking out. Conferences were being held. Yet, the majority of women newly diagnosed with DCIS would likely be rushed into treatments without ever hearing about the controversies.
Kim Hanson, Donna Pinto, Chris Wark, Theo Hanson @Redefining Cancer, 2026
Informed consent includes all information regarding a medical condition.
For over 16 years, Donna has been collecting evidence-based research about DCIS. She writes blog posts for women newly diagnosed with DCIS in simple language. She speaks about DCIS on podcasts, social media and at conferences — and she brings the controversies to the forefront from a patient-centered, lived experience perspective.
Since 2016, Donna has served as a Patient Advocate within national and international medical research specifically focused on preventing DCIS overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
DCIS PRECISION Patient Advocates Donna Pinto and Deb Collyar present a poster and serve on DCIS debate panels at the 5th World Congress on Controversies in Breast Cancer (CoBrCa 2019, San Francisco)
Donna is highly engaged with the DCIS patient community. She leads online support groups and helps women newly diagnosed with DCIS every day who are searching for high quality evidence-based information.
DCIS 411 helps women and their loved ones better understand the highly challenging controversies with DCIS that deeply affect their lives.
By taking the time to understand the controversies, women can make treatment decisions and feel supported no matter what path they choose.
Informed choice helps alleviate confusion and future regret. Decisions are made with confidence, support and backed by evidence.
To begin your journey of empowerment, it’s critical to understand all the DCIS controversies, especially overdiagnosis which leads to overtreatment.
Please review the following pages:
