National Study Focuses on “Stage Zero” Breast Cancer

CHICAGO, IL — Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center has announced it is participating in the national COMET study, the nation’s first prospective, randomized clinical trial aimed at understanding the best way to manage ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), also known as “stage zero” breast cancer.

Diagnosed annually in more than 50,000 women in the United States, current treatment guidelines for DCIS — surgery and radiation therapy — are almost the same as those for invasive breast cancer.

In recent years, physicians, researchers and patients alike have questioned whether such aggressive treatments are necessary for DCIS which is deemed “low-risk.” One large retrospective study showed no difference in survival at 10 years when comparing women who had surgery to those who did not have surgery for low grade DCIS.

Women diagnosed with DCIS diagnosis who participate in the COMET study will be randomly selected to receive one of two treatment approaches: the current standard of care consisting of surgery and radiation therapy or careful monitoring with mammograms and physical exams every six months, known as “active surveillance.”

“Informed decision making is a critical part of any breast cancer patient’s treatment journey,” says Dr. Rosalinda Alvarado, breast surgeon and COMET’s site principal investigator at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. “The reason studies like the COMET trial are so important is that they allow us to individualize a patient’s treatment plan according to their specific diagnosis.”

“In this case, we are investigating the possibility of active surveillance as an option for women with low risk non-invasive breast cancer. This could help avoid potentially unnecessary invasive treatments that can be difficult for many women,” Dr. Alvarado adds.

Women who are interested in participating in this study may contact Alisha Williams, cancer research coordinator at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, at 773.296.9842.

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About Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is a 397-bed non-profit teaching hospital located in the Lake View neighborhood on Chicago's North Side. The medical center has a Level I Trauma Center and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the highest designations awarded by the state of Illinois, and offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care, including cardiovascular, oncology, digestive health and neurosciences services. A recipient of numerous awards for quality and clinical excellence, Advocate Illinois Masonic has achieved Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The medical center has also been named a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality by the Human Rights Campaign's Healthcare Equality Index. Advocate Illinois Masonic is part of Advocate Health Care, the largest fully integrated health system in Illinois. For more information, visit www.advocatehealth.com/immc.