Nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a trial to test how AI tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced.
It said that under the EDITH trial (Early Detection using Information Technology in Health), 30 testing sites across the country will be equipped with AI technologies, ready to invite women already booked in for routine screenings on the NHS to take part.
The technology will assist radiologists, screening patients to identify changes in breast tissue that show possible signs of cancer and referred for further investigations if required.
Currently two specialists are needed per mammogram screening. DHSC said the technology enables just one to complete the same mammogram screening process safely and efficiently.
If the trial is successful, it could free up hundreds of radiologists and other specialists across the country to see more patients.
EDITH is backed by £11 million of government support via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, with around 55,000 people being diagnosed with the disease every year. Currently, women between the ages of 50 and 71 are invited to be screened every three years to help detect cases. This equates to around 2.1 million breast cancer screens carried out by the programme annually, which DHSC said helps to prevent around 1,300 deaths.
Fast and accurate diagnosis
Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at DHSC and CEO of the NIHR said: “This landmark trial could lead to a significant step forward in the early detection of breast cancer, offering women faster, more accurate diagnoses when it matters most.
“It is another example of how NIHR research, shaped and funded by the public, is crucial for rigorously testing world-leading new technologies, such as AI, that can potentially save lives while reducing the burden on the NHS.”
The launch of the trial has been announced on the same day as the launch of a call for evidence on the development of a new National Cancer Plan.
