DCIS in SITU stage 0: Choosing next steps

Posted by thegypsy @thegypsy, Jun 30 7:04am

I was diagnosed with stage 0 DCIS in Situ, Hormone and Progesterone positive.
I have been doing 6 month surveillance therapy for almost 2 yrs. Since diagnosis in 2024, Have had suspicious micro calcifications in 2025, needle core biopsy and benign findings.
Recent June 2026 Tomo found more suspicious calcifications
near original diagnosis site. Getting another needle core biopsy in August 2026.
By choice, I am not on any HR therapy as I have just recovered from MVD brain surgery after 4 years of every complication.
I am not mentally ready for hormone therapy or a lumpectomy.
I just missed being a candidate for the Comet re: over treatment of DCIS in Situ via lumpectomy, radiation and 5 yr HR therapy vs: active monitoring.
I have no family history of breast cancer and am now turning 65 in Sept.
My breast surgeon agreed with my active surveillance and my oncologist has a highly negative mindset and is pushing lumpectomy.
I am hopeful my biopsy this August will be benign as well.
The anxiety of getting biopsies and “how many more clips” makes me lean more towards a lumpectomy at my age but without the HR treatment afterward. I mentally cannot go thru more side effects after my 4 yrs recovering from every side effect after the brain surgery ( Micro vascular decompression surgery from Hemifacial Spasm) .
All experience, strength and hope to assist me in choosing next steps would be gratefully appreciated.
Alice in Florida

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thegypsy | @thegypsy | 4 days ago

Thank you for your words of wisdom!
Together we can make it!!! 🩷

sequoia | @sequoia | 4 days ago

In reply to @mimi09 "Many of us have learned how important it is to be your own advocate…the hard way!..." + (show)

@mimi09 very true words. Let us all stand together and stay strong 🥰

roses2 | @roses2 | 2 days ago

Hi Alice,
I was diagnosed with DCIS stage 0 in June 2025. My surgeon pushed for surgery. An MRI indicated that I had more than one lesion: 3 in one breast and one in the other. I realized that the suggested treatment would be a mastectomy, which I was against. I chose to avoid the surgery. By researching alternative treatments, I came across Cryoablation which freezes the lesions. I contacted Dr. Hania Bednarski in South Carolina, who has been performing this procedure for years. She requested that I have more tests done. She did a telehealth visit and showed me the imaging results, indicating that 3 of the 4 were not visible, and only one area seemed to indicate abnormal cells. (This was where my breast clip was.) Her analysis was that my lesions were adnormal, but may not be cancerous, so I have chosen to monitor them, as you are doing.
Good luck with your prognosis. I will keep you in prayer for your healing.
Barb

georgemc867 | @georgemc867 | 1 day ago

I had zero stage DCIS in 2019. It turned out ot be abnormal cells not cancer but was 100% ER+
I had a lumpectomy and was originally advised to take tamoxifen. I was 67 . I chose not to take Tamoxifen.

Fast forward 4.5 years later....I had grade 1A .7 mm lump in the same breast with 91% ER 1% PR and HER2 so I had another lumpectomy, radiation for 5 days, chemo weekly for 13 weeks and Immunotherapy 25 times all over one year.

Now I am taking AI's but have changed to Tamoxifen. I just passed my 2 year mark. And am considering stopping due to so many side effects. I have always wondered if I had taken the Tamoxifen the first time, if I could have prevented the second lump. When I asked my oncologist if he would suggest his Mother take tamoxifen the first go round, he said probably not. So I did not.

Hopefully lifestyle, diet and exercise will keep cancer from re-occuring. I see my surgeon 2 times a year and have diagnostic mammograms annually. It has been 2.6 years and so far, so good!
It is so hard to predict what is best. Just go with your gut feeling!