Overview | MammoScreen Project

OVERVIEW

Breast cancer: Limitations of current diagnostic technologies.

Breast Cancer Diagnosis Background

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, affecting 1 in 8 women⁷. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that in 2022, worldwide cases of breast cancer accounted for 23.8% of all cancers in women, with 2.26 million women diagnosed with cancer and 66,10% deaths globally in 2022⁸. Currently, mammography is the gold standard technology for breast screening and has proven effective in reducing breast cancer mortality. Nevertheless, mammography has limitations and drawbacks, such as:

It cannot be performed too often, as it exposes the person to X-ray radiations^9,10

It can give false positive results , making women unnecessarily worried¹¹

It is less sensitive in women with dense breast tissue¹²

It is reported to cause discomfort or pain in women due to heavy breast compression

Mission

The MammoScreen project was conceived with the aim of promoting new strategies for the early detection and prevention of breast cancer. With its varied international consortium, the project seeks to provide scientific evidence on a novel medical device (MammoWave®) which could improve screening, both from the technology perspective and in terms of awareness, accessibility and inclusiveness in regional and national programmes across Europe. The main ® as breast cancer screening technique in population-based programs promoted by national or regional health systems.

The project’s tasks orbit around three main pillars:

To generate clinical evidence regarding the use of the medical device MammoWave®

To perform a Health Technology Economic Assessment (HTA)

To engage Stakeholders and perform Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)

MammoScreen's future perspectives

Grounded in the present, with a vision for the future, MammoScreen intends to support pathways for integrating MammoWave® into healthcare systems, with the aim of improving breast cancer prevention and early detection methods. The initiative seeks to expand as a community, promoting collaboration and interaction to drive progress in breast cancer screening.

⁷https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/overview-risks-breast-cancer

⁹Miglioretti DL et al. Radiation-Induced Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality from Digital Mammography Screening: A Modeling Study. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164(4):205–214.

¹⁰Institute of Medicine (U.S.) and National Research Council (U.S.) Committee on New Approaches to Early Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer; Joy JE, Penhoet EE, Petitti DB, editors. Saving Women’s Lives: Strategies for Improving Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (U.S.); 2005.

¹¹Nelson HD et al. Effectiveness of breast cancer screening: systematic review and meta-analysis to update the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task
Force Recommendation. Ann Intern Med. 164(4):244-55, 2016.

¹²15 Oestreicher N et al. The incremental contribution of clinical breast examination to invasive cancer detection in a mammography screening program. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 184(2);428-32:2005.