Home / Health / Breast Cancer Overtreated? New Study Explores Monitoring Option
Breast Cancer Overtreated? New Study Explores Monitoring Option
31 Oct
Summary
- Research suggests some low-risk breast cancers may be overtreated.
- Active surveillance monitors patients with stage 0 breast cancer.
- A patient found monitoring less anxiety-inducing than mastectomy.
Current research is exploring the possibility that some low-risk, non-invasive breast cancers may be overtreated. A study led by Dr. Sheldon Feldman at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center is examining active surveillance for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), also known as stage 0 breast cancer.
DCIS constitutes about 35% of new breast cancer cases in the United States, affecting approximately 75,000 patients annually. The primary goal of treating DCIS is to prevent it from progressing to invasive cancer. However, Dr. Feldman's study indicates that only a small fraction of patients diagnosed with DCIS ultimately require surgery, typically those who show disease progression on follow-up imaging.
One patient, Julia Stalder, who was diagnosed with DCIS two and a half years ago, opted for active surveillance. She expressed that this monitoring approach reduced her anxiety compared to the prospect of immediate mastectomy. Stalder now undergoes regular mammograms and imaging every six months, with her condition remaining stable. She feels reassured by the close monitoring, confident that any progression would be detected early for prompt treatment.
