New research looks into whether low-risk, non-invasive breast cancers may be overtreated

New research is looking at whether some low-risk, non-invasive breast cancers may be overtreated and could instead be closely monitored.Dr. Sheldon Feldman, chief of breast surgical oncology at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, is leading an active surveillance study where patients are being monitored and taking low-dose hormone therapy.Feldman is using this to treat ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which is a very early, non-invasive form of breast cancer. It is often called stage 0 breast cancer. "The need to treat ductal carcinoma in situ is only to prevent it from possibly turning into invasive cancer," he said.DCIS makes up about 35% of the 300,000 new breast cancer cases in the United States, which is about 75,000 patients."The only group that would go on to surgery would be those patients who are identified as having disease progression on the follow-up MRI or mammogram," Feldman said. "So, actually, a very small group of the patients who initially are diagnosed w