AI use in breast cancer screening cuts rate of later diagnosis by 12%, study finds

"Researchers said the study was the largest to date looking at AI use in cancer screening. It involved 100,000 women in Sweden who were part of mammography screening and were randomly assigned to either AI-supported screening or to a standard reading by two radiologists between April 2021 and December 2022. The AI system worked by analysing the mammograms and assigning low-risk cases to a single reading and high-risk cases to a double one by radiologists, as well as highlighting suspicious findings to support radiologists."

"Dr Kristina Lang, from Lund University in Sweden and the lead author of the study, said that AI-supported mammography could help detect cancers at an early stage, but that there were caveats. Widely rolling out AI-supported mammography in breast cancer screening programmes could help reduce workload pressures among radiologists, as well as helping to detect more cancers at an early stage, including those with aggressive subtypes, Lang said."

A randomized trial in Sweden enrolled 100,000 women between April 2021 and December 2022 and assigned participants to AI-supported mammography or standard double reading by two radiologists. The AI analysed mammograms, allocated low-risk cases to single readings and high-risk cases to double readings, and flagged suspicious findings for radiologists. AI-supported screening resulted in 1.55 cancers per 1,000 women versus 1.76 per 1,000 in controls, a 12% reduction in subsequent-year cancer diagnoses. Screening-stage detection rose to 81% from 74%, and aggressive subtype cancers decreased by 27%. Cautious implementation with tested tools and continuous monitoring was recommended.

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