Personalized Screening for Breast Cancer: Rationale, Present Practices, and Future Directions

Tanir M. Allweis*, Naama Hermann, Rinat Berenstein-Molho, Michal Guindy

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ever since screening for early breast cancer (BC) diagnosis was shown to decrease mortality from the disease, screening programs have been widely implemented throughout the world. Targeted age groups and schedules vary between countries but the majority use a population-based approach, regardless of personal BC risk. The purpose of this review was to describe current population-based screening practices, point out some of the shortcomings of these practices, describe BC risk factors and risk assessment models, and present ongoing clinical trials of personalized risk-adapted BC screening. Three ongoing, large-scale, randomized controlled clinical trials (WISDOM in the US, MyPEBS in Europe, and TBST in Italy) were identified through a search of the MEDLINE and US National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov) databases. In these trials, women either undergo standard or personalized screening. The trials vary in methods of risk stratification and screening modalities, but all aim to examine whether personalized risk-adapted screening can safely replace the current population-based approach and lead to rates of advanced-stage BC at diagnosis comparable with those of current screening regimens. The results of these trials may change current population-based screening practices.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4306-4317
Number of pages12
JournalAnnals of Surgical Oncology
Volume28
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
My Personal Breast Screening (MyPeBS, https://mypebs.eu/ ; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03672331) is an international trial designed to compare the current standard breast screening regimen with a personalized risk-based strategy, based on the individual woman’s 5-year risk of developing BC. The trial, launched in 2019, plans to recruit 85,000 women aged 40–70 years from Belgium, France, Israel, Italy, and the UK. The study is funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program. MyPeBS uses a personalized strategy, which screens women at higher risk for BC more frequently than women at lower risk.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Society of Surgical Oncology.

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