114: DCIS, Overdiagnosis, and Reclaiming Women’s Health with Donna Pinto

In this powerful episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons welcomes advocate Donna Pinto to uncover the truth about DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), mammography, and the epidemic of overdiagnosis.

Donna shares her personal journey from shock diagnosis to advocacy, exposing how fear, language, and profit drive women into unnecessary treatments. Together, she and Dr. Jenn highlight the emotional toll of mislabeling DCIS as cancer, the shortcomings of mammograms, and the need for safer, smarter approaches.

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In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Why DCIS should not be automatically labeled as breast cancer
How 80% of DCIS cases never progress to invasive disease
The role of mammograms in overdiagnosis and overtreatment
The devastating emotional toll of a cancer label
Why women must be empowered with informed consent
Safer alternatives like ARIA and QT imaging
How financial incentives perpetuate outdated screening models
The urgent need for grassroots education and advocacy

Episode Timeline Highlights:

00:00 – Why DCIS is controversial & Donna Pinto’s mission
04:05 – The conveyor belt of treatment & mammograms as “religion”
07:43 – Marketing, fear, and the reality of overdiagnosis
12:56 – “Good doctors, bad training” & systemic blind spots
14:23 – Donna’s biopsies, surgeries & harmful messaging
19:21 – Autopsy studies and why mammograms don’t change survival
25:31 – Overdiagnosis by the numbers & financial drivers
27:46 – Break: ARIA tear-based screening
29:21 – Emotional toll of a cancer label
36:30 – The cult of mammograms & celebrity myths
38:40 – Why mammograms can cost lives
42:16 – Why “carcinoma” must go & biomarker testing challenges
47:11 – Experts pushing back & grassroots advocacy grows
50:27 – Industry incentives & the $13B mammogram machine
54:35 – Resistance to safer imaging & radiation myths
57:25 – Break: Dr. Jenn’s book plug
58:53 – Donna’s mission, Opting Out, and informed consent
01:10:35 – What if DCIS was renamed? Why mindset shift matters
01:14:55 – Lifestyle as prevention & root cause approaches
01:22:53 – Smash-a-Melon campaign & closing reflections

Where to find Donna Pinto:

https://dcis411.com
https://givewellness.life
https://smashamelon.com

To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with RHMD, visit:
https://jennsimmons.simplero.com/page...

To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreast...

To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.

Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.realhealthmd.com/
Facebook:   / drjennsimmons  
Instagram:   / drjennsimmons  
YouTube:    / @dr.jennsimmons