Researchers conducted a clinical trial to see if a more personalized approach to breast cancer screening is practical and acceptable. They studied over 1,800 women aged 50 to 67 who were due for a routine mammogram. Each woman received a personalized 10-year breast cancer risk score from a computer model. Based on that score, they were given a suggested schedule for their next mammogram, ranging from every 1 to 4 years.
The main goal was to see if women with a low risk score would be comfortable waiting up to 4 years for their next mammogram, instead of the standard 2 years. After about 10 months, only 3.8% of low-risk women had actively rejected the longer wait time, suggesting most were accepting of the idea.
The study also checked if receiving a risk score and a new screening schedule caused short-term anxiety or reduced quality of life. After 6 months, women in the study did not show increased worry about breast cancer. In fact, women in the low and intermediate risk groups reported slightly less worry than women who received standard screening.
It is important to know these are only early results. The study is designed to follow women for a total of about 800 days, so these findings on acceptance and worry are from the first part of the study. The final conclusions about the long-term effects and overall success of this personalized approach are still to come.
