Steven J. O’Day, MD, Director of Clinical Research at the Beverly Hills Cancer Center and Adjunct Member of the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Los Angeles, said, “This is an important study. It allows us to feel comfortable with our aggressive approach to the management of DCIS.” Dr. O’Day moderated the premeeting presscast where this study was presented.

Study Is Reassuring

“Screening picks up both invasive and noninvasive cancers. Some patients with DICS will progress to invasive cancer, but we are not sure which patients those are, so we are very aggressive about surgery and radiation if breast-conserving surgery is achieved,” said Dr. O’Day. “There has been concern about the morbidity and mortality related to radiation. Older studies have shown correlations between radiotherapy and cardiovascular disease toxicity when radiation fields overlapped the heart. Although we need to follow this cohort longer, the study is reassuring that with aggressive treatment there is no overall increase in [risk of] death and in particular, no increased risk of cardiovascular death. In fact, there was a slight decrease, which may be due to healthier lifestyle changes adopted by cancer survivors,” Dr. O’Day said. ■

Disclosure: Dr. O’Day reported no potential conflicts of interest.