I’ve talked before about a type of breast cancer called “ductal carcinoma in situ” (DCIS). We’re finding more and more cases of it due to the overly aggressive mammography screening program here in the United States.
Of course, experts—including Dr. George Lundberg, my colleague and former editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association—has called DCIS “stage zero” cancer or even “precancer.”
(Dr. Lundberg said that if a pathologic finding of a condition labeled as “cancer” does not spread, does not metastasize to different parts of the body, and does not risk killing the patient—it’s not really cancer. And shouldn’t be labeled as such.)
Meanwhile, conventional wisdom says, “Oh we caught it early, when it’s easier to treat.” So, without hesitation, treatment options are doled out to countless patients.
But according to a shocking, new study, DCIS may not need ANY treatment at all. Especially when it’s found in older women!
New study questions benefit of treating DCIS—at all!
In this new study published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, researchers examined the benefit of surgery and radiation among more than 21,0000 women diagnosed with low-to-intermediate grade, hormone-receptor-positive DCIS.
When grouped by age:
- 22 percent were younger than 50 years
- 55 percent were 50 to 69 years
- 23 percent were older than 70 years
When grouped according to treatment course:
- 3 percent had no treatment at all
- 37 percent had surgery excision only (a lumpectomy) to remove the affected tissue
- 60 percent had surgery excision (a lumpectomy) plus radiation therapy
Overall, the risk of breast cancer recurrence was low across all age groups, even among those receiving NO treatment at all:
- For women younger than 50 years who got no treatment, just 7 percent went on to develop invasive breast cancer in the ipsilateral breast (same breast originally affected).
- For women 50 to 69 years who got no treatment, just 5 percent developed invasive cancer in the ipsilateral breast.
- For women older than 70 years who got no treatment, just a paltry 2 percent developed invasive cancer in the ipsilateral breast.
Now, the researchers also observed that among women under the age of 70, surgical treatment (with or without radiation) reduced invasive cancer risks even further (by about 62 to 87 percent).
But here’s the kicker…
When it came to women over the age of 70 who received surgery (either with or without radiation)…the numbers just didn’t add up. They had a 14 to 49 percent lower risk of developing invasive cancer compared to the group who didn’t receive any treatment.
But remember—only 2 percent of the women over 70 who didn’t receive any treatment at all went on to develop invasive cancer.
So, treatment in these women cut that 2 percent recurrence rate in half (at best!)…to 1 percent. And that’s just not worth it. Especially when you think about all the potential downsides and complications of treatment!
In fact, according to the study’s co-author, Susie X. Sun, M.D., of the University of Texas, these findings raise serious “concerns of overtreatment in this age group.” Furthermore, these women may be better off following an “active surveillance” or “watchful waiting” approach as what’s now recommended for many men with prostate cancer.
Mainstream approach still way OFF
In the end, these findings run counter to the dogma that more aggressive therapy leads to better outcomes when it comes to breast cancer. That’s simply not true. Especially when it comes to DCIS.
So, clearly, mainstream medicine is still way OFF.
It continues to rely on useless mammography screenings. It makes mistaken assumptions about the dangers of DCIS. And it largely ignores the REAL factors that influence a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.
The good news is, there are dozens of natural approaches to help prevent all types of cancer, including breast cancer. I’ve outlined them in great detail in my groundbreaking online learning tool, my Authentic Anti-Cancer Protocol.
This all-inclusive protocol is the sum total of more than 40 years of personal research, study, and experience in natural cancer prevention…and treatment, should you need it. In fact, every solution you’ll hear about has been studied and researched by countless, cutting-edge medical institutions. To learn more about it, or to enroll today, click here now!