UC Davis to Develop AI Technology to Predict Risk and Detection of Breast Cancer

University of California (UC) Davis researchers received a 15 million dollars grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to fund artificial intelligence (AI) projects designed to improve breast cancer screening and risk prediction while decreasing health disparities.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the United States, and it is the second leading cause of death from cancer among women. However, the burden of breast cancer differs across ethnic and racial groups, with disparities reported in the rates of second cancers, deaths, and diagnosis.

Regular screening focuses on detecting breast cancer early, but several patients are still diagnosed with advanced cancer despite regular screenings and mammograms. Many of these patients might have benefited from more intensive and accurate screenings that are not always easily accessible.

Diana Miglioretti, professor and division chief at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, said that the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening every two years, which is sufficient for most women in the country. But some women can also benefit from screening every year with supplemental imaging. Diana Miglioretti added that they still need to be very careful about the impact of additional screening.

The previous work of the team had focused on advancing the science of surveillance and screening for breast cancer by studying safe and more personalized screenings. The team has also created models based on patient factors like breast density and age. The researchers are also planning to integrate artificial intelligence technology and imaging features to improve breast cancer risk prediction models.