NCI awards $17M grant for breast imaging

Researchers at the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) have received a $17 million program project grant renewal from the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study the efficacy of different breast cancer screening and surveillance strategies.

The evaluation, co-led by Diana Miglioretti, PhD, a researcher and professor of biostatistics at the University of California, Davis, will include digital mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis, and breast MRI. The grant renewal expands prior research by evaluating surveillance imaging of breast cancer survivors and the screening of women without a history of breast cancer.

The ultimate goal is to tailor each woman's screening regimen to her risk of screening outcomes based on family history, breast density, and other risk factors, and consider her personal preferences around balancing the potential benefits and harms of screening.