Breast cancer screening based on your personal risk is as good as annual screening

Publicly released:
Australia; NSW; VIC
Image by Marco Jean de Oliveira Teixeir Marco Jean de Oliveira Teixeir from Pixabay. Story by Lyndal Byford, Australian Science Media Centre
Image by Marco Jean de Oliveira Teixeir Marco Jean de Oliveira Teixeir from Pixabay. Story by Lyndal Byford, Australian Science Media Centre

Breast cancer screening based on your genetics and your personal risk of cancer, not just your age, is both safe and acceptable to women, and could offer a way to modernise screening, according to a US study of more than 28,000 women. The risk-based screening looked at personal risk factors, family history, genetic assessment, and breast density, and then tailored screening based on the risk profile - with more intense screening for those at higher risk and lower to no screening for those at lower risk. The study found this approach was not inferior to annual screening. An accompanying editorial by Australian experts says that this study increases confidence in the safety and feasibility of risk-based screening; however, its effectiveness remains uncertain as a substantial portion of women didn't stick to the screening recommendations.

Media release

From: JAMA

Risk-Based vs Annual Breast Cancer Screening / The WISDOM Randomized Clinical Trial
JAMA
Original Investigation

Editorial
Unlocking the Potential of Risk-Based Screening for Breast Cancer
JAMA

About The Study: In a randomized clinical trial, researchers found risk-based breast cancer screening was as safe as annual screening for detecting advanced cancers but did not reduce breast biopsy rates. Corresponding author Laura J. Esserman, MD, MBA, of the University of California, San Francisco, will present the study at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
(doi:10.1001/jama.2025.24784)
Additional materials: An Editorial written by Nancy N. Baxter, MD, PhD, and Kelly-Anne Phillips, MD, of Melbourne, Australia, will publish with the study.
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.
About JAMA: JAMA is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association. As a leading source of clinical and public health information, JAMA is committed to advancing global health through publication of rigorous research, guidelines, and policy statements.
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Research JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).
Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).
Journal/
conference:
JAMA
Research: Link to Paper 1 | Paper 2
Organisation/s: University of California, USA, The University of Sydney, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne
Funder: This study was supported by PCORI (PCS-1402-10749), NCI (R01CA237533), BCRF (SPEC-18-006, SPEC-22-018, SPEC-24-026), RWJF (Pioneer Pitch Award 71864), Safeway Foundation, Bright Pink, Mount Zion Health Fund, V Foundation, Sanford Health Foundation, Salesforce, and generous donors (Ron Conway Family, Dorian Daley and Michael Krautkramer, Charles and Ivette Esserman, and Marc and Lynne Benioff)
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