AI tool uses 3D mammograms to predict breast cancer risk years in advance

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool could help doctors predict a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer years in advance, a new study suggests.

In a new study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology, researchers from NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center tested an AI model designed to estimate a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer within five years.

The tool looks at several years of a woman’s 3D mammograms to track changes in breast tissue over time, rather than looking only at the latest scan, researchers say.

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The model was developed based on more than 313,000 mammograms performed on more than 161,000 women, according to the study.

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool could help doctors predict a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer years in advance. (iStock)

Connie Lehman, a Massachusetts-based breast imaging specialist and professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that AI could help identify women whose increased risk might otherwise go unnoticed.

“For decades, as a physician and breast imaging specialist, I have cared for women shocked by a breast cancer diagnosis,” Lehman said. “Over and over I heard, ‘How is that possible? No one in my family has had breast cancer.'”

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Traditional risk assessments can take into account factors like family history and genetic mutations, while AI can look for additional clues in a woman’s breast tissue, according to Lehman.

The tool looks at several years of a woman’s 3D mammograms to track changes in breast tissue over time. (iStock)

“A mammogram can tell us more than whether cancer is visible today – it can also provide information about a woman’s risk of developing cancer in years to come,” she said.

This information could eventually help doctors tailor breast cancer screening to a woman’s individual risk, Lehman said.

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Women identified as being at increased risk could discuss additional screening, such as MRI, with their health care providers, while women at average risk could continue their routine mammograms, according to Lehman.

The technology could also analyze mammograms a woman has already had, meaning the additional information about risks would not require another imaging test or additional radiation therapy, she noted.

Traditional risk assessments can take into account factors like family history and genetic mutations, while AI can look for additional clues in a woman’s breast tissue, experts say. (iStock)

Lehman cautioned that an AI risk score is not a diagnosis of cancer and cannot predict with certainty whether a woman will develop the disease.

“A higher score may spark a conversation with your health care provider about additional screening and risk reduction options,” she said. “A lower score does not eliminate risk and does not replace a regular mammogram.”

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NYU’s model remains a research tool and is not cleared by the FDA for clinical use, according to Lehman.

The researchers also noted that more testing is needed. The study used mammograms from NYU Langone Hospitals and imaging equipment from a manufacturer.

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The team plans to test the model using data from other medical centers and different 3D mammography systems, according to NYU Langone.

Fox News Digital has contacted the researchers for comment.