Personalizing Breast Cancer Screening

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S. Screening tests can check for signs of breast cancer before symptoms start. If cancer is found early, it increases the chance that it can be treated more effectively.

Doctors generally recommend mammogram screening based on a woman’s age. A new study shows that it’s safe for breast cancer screenings to be based on women’s risk factors instead of their age.

The researchers studied 28,000 women, ages 40 to 74. They tested two screening approaches over five years. One-half of the women had the standard mammogram every year. The other half received personalized recommendations.

Women with the highest personalized risk scores had screenings every six months. They switched between mammograms and MRIs. They also had counseling to learn how to lower their chances of getting breast cancer. Women with a slightly higher risk had annual mammograms starting at age 40. Women with an average risk had mammograms every two years beginning at age 50.

The personalized screenings worked as well as annual mammograms to find breast cancer. Screenings based on your personal risk could help reduce anxiety and costs. This approach also prevents unnecessary screenings.

“The personalized approach begins with risk assessment, incorporating genetic, biological, and lifestyle factors, which can then guide effective prevention strategies,” says Dr. Laura Esserman of the University of California, San Francisco.