Chris Wark interviews Donna Pinto
Donna Pinto healed DCIS naturally and founded DCIS 411
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and one part of the breast cancer conversation that deserves more attention is DCIS.
This year, it’s estimated that 321,910 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Another 60,730 women will be diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), also known as “stage 0 breast cancer.”
DCIS differs from invasive breast cancer because the abnormal “pre-cancerous” cells are contained inside the milk ducts and have not spread to surrounding breast tissue.
The controversy around DCIS is that up to 80% of DCIS cases may never progress into invasive breast cancer, but women are often rushed into aggressive, disfiguring treatments out of fear.
This is why I wanted to talk with DCIS expert Donna Pinto. Donna was diagnosed with DCIS in 2010 and was told she had two options: a partial mastectomy plus radiation or a full mastectomy.
Donna didn’t like the options she was given, so she started researching and made drastic changes to her diet and lifestyle. She focused on vegetables, raw foods, green juices, and nutrient-dense plant foods. One month later, her pre-surgical MRI was clear. Her DCIS had healed.
In 2011, Donna founded DCIS 411 to help women better understand their diagnosis and treatment options. She has also served as a patient advocate and researcher with the COMET and PRECISION studies.
The COMET randomized clinical trial compared active monitoring versus standard treatment, including surgery, for women with certain types of low-risk DCIS. At two years, active monitoring was found to be just as safe as immediate treatment.
I’m thankful for Donna and the work she’s doing to educate and empower women to make informed decisions and not be rushed into treatment out of fear. Enjoy!
Watch our interview below, or listen to it on the Chris Beat Cancer podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
