DCIS and Overtreatment Therapies- Reduce Risk or Not?

DCIS Therapy Must Balance Quality-of-Life with Quantity-of-Life. Ask Your Oncologist if The Therapy Causes Side Effects and/or Increases Overall Survival-

There is considerable disagreement about the treatment of Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ. Some believe that nearly everyone with a pre-breast cancer diagnosis, regardless of its characteristics, should be treated with either mastectomy or lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy, in addition to taking five years of tamoxifen. Others believe that most DCIS could be treated much more conservatively, perhaps even with watchful waiting.

I know that the disagreement is not just between doctors, but that each woman with DCIS has her own comfort level with the various treatment methods and the risks involved. The key, in my opinion, is to confirm that whatever therapy being considered leads to a longer life- enhances overall survival. If a therapy causes side effects but doesn’t increase overall survival then why do it?

I am a long-term cancer survivor and cancer coach. I live with a host of long-term and late-stage side effects from the conventional therapies that did little to stop my cancer, multiple myeloma. I reached complete remission in 1999 with a controversial, non-conventional therapy. I have remained in complete remission by living an evidence-based, non-toxic, anti-MM lifestyle through nutrition, supplementation, bone health and more.

To learn more about DCIS and the evidence-based therapies that can help you prevent its spread into invasive breast cancer, please watch the video below:

There are dozens of evidence-based, non-toxic therapies shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Scroll down the page, post a question or comment and I will reply to you ASAP.

Thanks

David Emerson

Cancer Survivor
Cancer Coach
Director PeopleBeatingCancer

Bilateral Mastectomy in DCIS May Be Overtreatment

“Women who undergo bilateral mastectomy for the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may be overtreated, according to the results of a study presented at a press conference ahead of the 2017 American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting. The study showed that only a small percentage of women with this early, non-invasive breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery instead of double mastectomy developed contralateral cancer after 5 years…

“There is a low risk of contralateral breast cancer after DCIS for women treated with breast-conserving surgery and this risk is low irrespective of age, family history, and characteristics of initial DCIS,..”

Long-term outcomes of invasive ipsilateral breast tumor recurrences after lumpectomy in NSABP B-17 and B-24 randomized clinical trials for DCIS.

“Ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) is the most common failure event after lumpectomy for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We evaluated invasive IBTR (I-IBTR) and its influence on survival among participants in two National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) randomized trials for DCIS…

Although I-IBTR increased the risk for breast cancer-related death, radiation therapy and tamoxifen reduced I-IBTR, and long-term prognosis remained excellent after breast-conserving surgery for DCIS…”

The study linked and excerpted below is based on long-term NSABP trials and sounds very authoritative in their conclusion that

“we believe that these long-term findings of NSABP B-17 and B-24 demonstrate that lumpectomy and adjuvant therapies are effective modalities for the treatment of DCIS. It is highly likely that current breast imaging practices, improvements in margin assessments, and advances in adjuvant treatments will continue to reduce the incidence of invasive recurrences after DCIS.”

Doctors warn of heart risk from some breast cancer therapies

“In its first statement on the topic, the American Heart Association on Thursday said women should consider carefully the risks and benefits of any therapies that may hurt hearts. Not all treatments carry these risks, and there may be ways to minimize or avoid some...

“Most people with breast cancer fear death from breast cancer. Even after they survive that, they still fear it,” but heart disease is more likely to kill them, especially after age 65, Mehta said…

Q: What are the problems and which treatments can cause them?

A: Side effects can include abnormal rhythms, valve problems or heart failure, where the heart slowly weakens and can’t pump effectively. Symptoms may not appear until long after treatment ends…

Radiation can affect arteries and spur narrowing or blockages…

Breast cancer treatments may increase the risk of heart disease

“Breast cancer patients may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases including heart failure and may benefit from a treatment approach that weighs the benefits of specific therapies against potential damage to the heart, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published in its journal Circulation…

The statement is an overview of what we currently know about risk factors common to both heart disease and breast cancer, the potential heart damage from some breast cancer treatments, and suggested strategies to prevent or minimize the damage. Breast cancer survivors, especially older women over the age of 65, are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than breast cancer, underscoring the importance of effectively managing heart disease risk factors during and following cancer treatment…

Any patient who is going to undergo breast cancer treatment, whether they have heart disease at the beginning or not, should be aware of the potential effects of the treatments on their heart,” said Laxmi Mehta, M.D., chair of the writing group for the new scientific statement. “This should not deter or scare patients from undergoing breast cancer treatment, but should allow them to make informed decisions with their doctor on the best cancer treatment for them...”

Other treatments, such as radiation, can affect the heart arteries and cause the development of coronary artery disease or blockages…

Diagnosed with Cancer? Your two greatest challenges are understanding cancer and understanding possible side effects from chemo and radiation. Knowledge is Power!

DCIS and Overtreatment Therapies- Reduce Risk or Not?

DCIS Therapy Must Balance Quality-of-Life with Quantity-of-Life. Ask Your Oncologist if The Therapy Causes Side Effects and/or Increases Overall Survival-

Recommended Reading:

Bilateral Mastectomy in DCIS May Be Overtreatment

Long-term outcomes of invasive ipsilateral breast tumor recurrences after lumpectomy in NSABP B-17 and B-24 randomized clinical trials for DCIS.

Doctors warn of heart risk from some breast cancer therapies

Breast cancer treatments may increase the risk of heart disease

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