Study Suggests Some Early Breast Cancer Cases May Not Require Surgery

Research on low-risk DCIS indicates active monitoring could be a safe alternative to invasive treatments, though long-term data is needed.

A new study published in JAMA examined nearly 1,000 women with low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-invasive stage 0 breast cancer.
Participants were randomly assigned to either surgery and radiation or active monitoring with regular mammograms; both groups could opt for hormone therapy.
After two years, cancer rates were comparable between the groups, with 5.9% of the surgery group and 4.2% of the monitoring group developing invasive cancer.
Experts emphasize the need for longer-term follow-up to confirm the safety of avoiding surgery and radiation for low-risk DCIS patients.
The findings could lead to more personalized treatment options, reducing overtreatment while maintaining safety for certain patients.