Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
Between 30-50% of the new breast cancers that are detected through mammography screenings are classified as Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, or DCIS. DCIS refers to the abnormal growth of cells that are encapsulated within the milk ducts of the breast. It is a calcified lesion that is approximately 1 – 1.5 cm in diameter and is considered to be a non-invasive or “zero stage” cancer with some experts arguing for its complete re-classification as a non-cancerous condition.
Most people who are diagnosed with DCIS generally remain asymptomatic and have no palpable lesions.
Diagnosis of DCIS has now reached epidemic proportions due to the widespread use of highly-sensitive mammography screening tools.
It is very telling that women in the United States have the highest rates of mammography screening in the world and we also have the highest rates of DCIS as well. For most of the twentieth century, mastectomy was the first line of treatment for those diagnosed with (DCIS), with younger patients more likely to undergo this procedure. In 2002, 26% of those diagnosed with DCIS were still receiving this surgical procedure. The most common treatments being recommended now are for the patient to undergo a lumpectomy followed by radiation and a prescription for hormone suppression drugs such as Arimidex or Tamoxifen.
Proponents of breast cancer screening claim they are saving lives through early detection and treating those with DCIS, often regarding it as a potentially life-threatening condition. They view DCIS as “a pre-cancerous condition”and argue that, because it could cause harm at some point, then it should be treated in the same aggressive manner as with any other invasive cancer. The real tragedy here is that women are not told the true nature of DCIS, or the concept that there could be such a thing as a “non-progressive” cancer.
In a poll on DCIS awareness published in 2000, 94% of the women who were studied had doubts that there could be such a thing as a non-progressive breast cancer. In other words, they had no understanding of the nature of a DCIS diagnosis.
More recent findings, published in June of 2015 in the journal JAMA Oncology found that DCIS rarely leads to death from breast cancer. The rate at which DCIS may progress into a terminal cancer indicates that it may be as low as 2% with the 10-year survival rates of patients diagnosed with DCIS at 98% post-treatment. The research also reveals that pursuing treatment beyond a lumpectomy did not affect overall survival time.
This extraordinary high number related to survival may speak volumes as to the benign nature of the condition. These findings actually add to the concerns that the ability to detect these lesions through highly sensitive mammograms may be leading to unnecessary mastectomies and treatments. Even more troubling, DCIS survival statistics are being included in our national cancer database as “proof” that these screenings and treatments are effective, but a closer look at the numbers reveals that including DCIS data is actually skewing our nation’s survival statistics in general, making it seem as if conventional therapies are more effective than they actually are. Perhaps this is so that we continue to believe that we are “winning” the war on cancer.
Source articles
Mammography accelerating breast cancer and DCIS
Taking a watch and wait approach to DCIS
Time Magazine- What if I decide to just do nothing
Never Fear Cancer Again by Raymond Francis
Radical Hope; 10 Key Healing Factors, by Kelly Turner PhD.