New York —  The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported a groundbreaking approach for treating some women with early-stage breast cancer. These patients may be closely monitored and only undergo surgery or radiation therapy if the cancer progresses.

This strategy mirrors existing methods for treating early-stage prostate cancer. Medical experts are evaluating whether additional cancer treatments can be deferred, sparing patients from adverse side effects and reducing healthcare costs.

Nancy Chan, a breast cancer specialist at the Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, described it as the first research confirming that certain low-risk breast cancer patients could live without requiring surgery.

However, some medical professionals argue that there is insufficient long-term data to validate the safety of this approach. Debate continues regarding the intensity of treatment required for such early-stage cancers and whether they should even be classified as cancer.

In the United States, approximately 300,000 women are diagnosed annually with invasive breast cancer. Additionally, 50,000 women are diagnosed with “stage 0” breast cancer, or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS occurs when cancer cells are confined to the milk ducts and do not invade breast tissue.

While DCIS poses minimal immediate risk, it has the potential to develop into invasive and more severe cancer.

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