Category: Latest Research

Encouraging Update from the LORD Clinical Trial on Active Surveillance for Low-Risk DCIS

At the recent 15th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC15), researchers shared encouraging early findings from the LORD (LOw Risk DCIS) clinical trial , a major international study exploring whether some people diagnosed with low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) can safely avoid immediate surgery.

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Navigating DCIS Outside the Traditional Path: Insights from a New Study

A newly published study in Sociology of Health & Illness explores how some women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are navigating their diagnosis outside the traditional treatment pathway. Rather than following standard-of-care approaches such as surgery or radiation, these women are turning to an online community to help make sense of their diagnosis, weigh treatment decisions, and find support. The study offers a window into how patients understand risk, interact with the medical system, and navigate uncertainty in the absence of clear answers.

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Is Tamoxifen Alone Without Surgery a Viable Strategy for Low-Risk DCIS?: Updates From the LORETTA Trial

In December 2025, results from the LORETTA trial were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), offering new insight into an important and long-standing question in DCIS care: Can some people with low-risk DCIS safely avoid surgery?

While the trial did not meet its predefined statistical threshold, the findings add meaningful evidence to the growing body of research suggesting that active surveillance may be appropriate for carefully selected patients. Importantly, the results help clarify who those patients might be.

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New DCIS Radiation Findings Presented at SABCS: What High Risk Patients Should Know

At the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) in December, researchers presented updated results from a large international clinical trial examining radiation treatment after surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The study offers important insights into how radiation can reduce the chance of DCIS returning in the same breast — particularly for people considered at higher risk of recurrence.

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Can Biopsy Alone Help Identify Which DCIS Is Truly “Low Risk”?

For many women diagnosed with DCIS, one of the toughest questions is whether surgery is truly necessary — especially if the DCIS looks low-risk. The idea of active monitoring (close follow-up with imaging and exams, without immediate surgery) is gaining attention in clinical trials. But one challenge remains: how can doctors be sure a biopsy really shows the whole truth about the DCIS?

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Polygenic Risk Score May Help Personalize Risk Prediction for DCIS and LCIS

When someone is diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), one of the toughest questions is: What happens next? Not all in situ lesions progress to invasive cancer, yet many people feel pressure to treat aggressively for fear of missing something.

A new study from the American Association for Cancer Research suggests a promising—but still tentative—tool: a polygenic risk score (PRS), a number based on hundreds of inherited genetic variants. This approach may someday help personalize risk predictions for future breast events after an in situ diagnosis.

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Are Death Rates from Breast Cancer After Initial DCIS Diagnosis Going Down? A New Study Raises Questions

When we talk about progress in breast cancer, we often point to the encouraging news that deaths from invasive breast cancer have steadily declined over recent decades—thanks to advances in detection, treatment and care.

But for DCIS, there is weak or even no evidence that our current treatments actually reduce the chance of dying from breast cancer.  A new study published in Breast Cancer Research looked closely at this question, and the results raise important concerns.

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A New Clue to Why Some DCIS Becomes Invasive Cancer

One of the biggest questions for people diagnosed with DCIS is: which cases will stay harmless inside the milk ducts, and which ones will progress to invasive breast cancer?

A new study from researchers in Finland and Sweden offers an important piece of this puzzle. They discovered that a protein called HSF2 may act like a “switch” that helps determine whether cells stay put in the ducts or begin invading surrounding breast tissue.

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