BCSC Blog

The BCSC blog was founded in late 2018 and features contributions from a variety of BCSC investigators, sharing their current work and highlighting the the impact of the BCSC. 

Current Blog Posts:

BCSC researchers suggest primary prevention can decrease advanced breast cancer diagnoses
The BCSC extends its invasive breast cancer risk model to include BMI, second-degree family history of breast cancer, and age at first live birth
BCSC authors Karla Kerlikowske, Sarah Nyante, and Rebecca Hubbard, will discuss their articles published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention at the webinar on November 29, 2023
New BCSC study finds that undergoing breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not decrease rates of interval or advanced cancer
This is a repost of a blog post about a 2019 Radiology paper to highlight a recent podcast episode where lead author Karen Wernli discusses the paper findings
New BCSC study finds that reducing racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer survival among women with a breast lump requires targeted efforts to reduce the risk of poor prognosis tumors in addition to improved accuracy of cancer detection
New BCSC study finds mammography performed at intervals less than one year can impact diagnostic performance calculations and proposes a solution for eliminating artificial inflation of cancers detected
New BCSC study examines supplemental ultrasound screening rates in women with dense breasts and in women at high risk of mammography screening failure
New BCSC study examines impact of BMI on prevalence of dense breasts by race and ethnicity
New BCSC study examines DBT performance metrics on successive screening rounds
New BCSC study reports on national performance benchmarks for routine screening with digital breast tomosynthesis
New BCSC study will inform policymakers’ discussions of screening strategies
New BCSC study shows that the standard 10-year recommendation for initiating screening mammography may not be appropriate for all women with a family history of breast cancer
Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium Awarded $15 Million Program Project Renewal for "Advancing Equitable Risk-based Breast Cancer Screening and Surveillance in Community Practice."
Prioritizing immediate interpretation of screening mammograms for women without a mammogram in prior 5 years reduces potential harms of screening.
New BCSC online risk calculator estimates 6-year advanced breast cancer risk based on annual or biennial mammography.
New BCSC Study evaluates self-report of decision quality and regret with breast cancer surgical treatment in women with and without preoperative breast MRI
New BCSC study finds that Black women are at higher risk of diagnostic delays after abnormal mammography screening compared to White women
BCSC study finds that diagnostic mammography performance varies across racial and ethnic groups
BCSC study finds that with 3D mammography technique, advanced cancer is reduced in women with most dense breasts and highest risk
New BCSC study finds disparity in personal density knowledge between women with dense and non-dense breasts, which impacts their desire for supplemental screening.
New BCSC study estimates half of all women experience false positive mammograms after 10 years of annual screening
Comparative modeling analysis of women with pathogenic variants for breast cancer suggests that annual screening MRI starting age 30-35 years may decrease mortality by up to 60%.
New BCSC study projects an overdiagnosis rate of 15% using estimates of the frequency of non-progressive disease and the asymptomatic duration of those who become symptomatic
New BCSC study has developed a new risk model for predicting the risk of advanced stage breast cancer based on screening frequency.
BCSC in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University evaluates new method of informing and soliciting women's preferences around frequency of breast cancer screening.
New BCSC study finds that radiologists’ assessment of breast density does not differ between Digital Mammography and Digital Breast Tomography, which has implications for breast cancer risk assessment with these modalities.
The potential benefits of averting breast cancer deaths should be weighed against the potential harms of overdiagnosis when considering screening for women over 75
A new BCSC study indicates that pre-operative MRIs increase both additional biopsy and cancer detection in women, but women with higher breast density experience an additional increase in biopsy rates without a corresponding increase in cancer detection rates
New BCSC study suggests that older women with a higher burden of functional limitations are less likely to be adherent to screening mammography.
New BCSC study suggests reduced mammography utilization during COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial decline in breast cancer diagnoses, particularly in Asian, Hispanic, and Black women.
SABIR lead Diana Miglioretti receives a $5 million cy pres award from a class-action lawsuit to develop a precision breast cancer screening program focused on racially/ethnically diverse low income women
BCSC investigators Dr. Christoph Lee and Dr. Brian Sprague named semi-finalists for The Aunt Minnie Most Influential Radiology Researcher Award
New BCSC study finds that older women with dense breasts are at increased risk of invasive breast cancer
A new modeling study by BCSC investigators and NCI’s Cancer Intervention and Modeling Network (CISNET) estimates that disruptions in breast cancer control due to COVID-19 pandemic may increase breast cancer deaths by 2030
Two new BCSC studies highlight how breast imaging facilities prioritized diagnostic breast imaging over breast cancer screening during periods of reduced capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic and how facilities should use clear, personalized communications with their patients during the pandemic to minimize anxiety and improve access to screening
New BCSC study suggests that along with major comorbidities and age, functional limitations should also be considered when offering breast cancer screening to older women
New BCSC study found that surveillance mammography performance showed minimal improvement over two decades and remained inferior to digital mammography screening benchmarks
Despite a strong overall rebound in mammography volume, a substantial cumulative deficit in missed mammograms remains
New study suggests screening women ages 50-74 with lower than average risk and low breast density every three years
New study finds risk-based approach detects most cancers with fewest exams
BCSC study suggests disparities in access to and use of newer screening technology based on race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status
Editorial describes how combining risk factors with breast density to determine age and frequency of breast cancer screening maximizes benefits and minimizes harms
BCSC is exploring the effect of reduced breast cancer screening during COVID-19 on patient outcomes
BCSC study determines advanced cancer definition that accurately predicts breast cancer mortality, which is useful for evaluating screening effectiveness.
Among women with a family history of breast cancer, the relative’s age at diagnosis may influence her age at first mammogram.
BCSC will leverage its data and relationships with breast imaging facilities nationwide to develop a prioritization toolkit to help facilities deal with closures and reduced capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New findings from the BCSC suggest that overweight/obesity and dense breasts account for large proportions of breast cancers in white, black, Hispanic, and Asian women.
New BCSC study suggests that the benefits of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) depend on a woman's age, breast density, and screening round.
Interview with BCSC researcher Karen Schifferdecker, PhD, MPH, in July 2020 issue of HealthCareBusiness news for their special "Women's Health Imaging Section."
BCSC investigators develop metrics that consider the result of the entire mammography screening episode, not just the initial assessment.
New findings recognize that social determinants of health (SDOH) contribute to health-related disparities.
BCSC investigator, Dr. Diana Miglioretti, PhD, was awarded the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Association of Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS).
New BCSC findings suggest that using DBT leads to a higher cancer detection rate and lower recall rate compared to digital mammography.
New qualitative findings from the BCSC suggest that women have varying knowledge about breast density and a strong desire to learn more.
BCSC investigator, Dr. Christoph Lee, at the University of Washington establishes a new breast cancer screening registry in the Pacific Northwest
BCSC investigators, in collaboration with the CISNET and PROSPR groups, use similation modeling to understand the cost-effectiveness and long-term outcomes for women screened with digital breast tomosythesis.
BCSC investigators explore the benefits of screening mammography in women age 75 and older
BCSC investigators explore strategies for identifying women with the most potential benefit from supplemental imaging during the screening process
BCSC investigators and patient partners evaluate the performance of Breast MRI in women with a history of breast cancer
BCSC investigators Drs. Kerlikowske, Miglioretti and Vachon, discuss breast density, its measurement, and its impact on breast cancer risk
BCSC investigator Dr. Diana Miglioretti presented a keynote address highlighting the potential benefit of risk-stratified screening
BCSC study finds little benefit from adding ultrasound to screening mammography
BCSC study finds radiologists quickly improve screening performance with 3D mammography
Analyses suggest association between environmental exposures and breast density.
Changes to BI-RADS Density Guidelines seem unlikely to impact population distributions of breast density.
Updated USPSTF Recommendations suggest BCSC Risk Calculator to identify women who might benefit from medication to reduce breast cancer risk
Study suggest BPE is an independent risk factor for breast cancer.
More DBT doesn't mean fewer screening exams