Personalized Screening for Breast Cancer: Rationale, Present Practices, and Future Directions

Abstract

Ever since screening for early breast cancer (BC) diagnosis was shown to decrease mortality from the disease, screening programs have been widely implemented throughout the world. Targeted age groups and schedules vary between countries but the majority use a population-based approach, regardless of personal BC risk. The purpose of this review was to describe current population-based screening practices, point out some of the shortcomings of these practices, describe BC risk factors and risk assessment models, and present ongoing clinical trials of personalized risk-adapted BC screening. Three ongoing, large-scale, randomized controlled clinical trials (WISDOM in the US, MyPEBS in Europe, and TBST in Italy) were identified through a search of the MEDLINE and US National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov) databases. In these trials, women either undergo standard or personalized screening. The trials vary in methods of risk stratification and screening modalities, but all aim to examine whether personalized risk-adapted screening can safely replace the current population-based approach and lead to rates of advanced-stage BC at diagnosis comparable with those of current screening regimens. The results of these trials may change current population-based screening practices.