Breast Cancer: Is the Current Screening Appropriate? The RISCAM Study

Background: Early diagnosis is key for improving outcomes of breast cancer cases. However, controversy remains regarding the lower age limits and non-personalized nature of screening programs. The main objectives of this study are to investigate the relevance of defining a new lower age limit for breast cancer screening, characterize risk factors not included in the Tyrer-Cuzick™ risk assessment calculator, and explore the feasibility of personalizing screening. Methods: This study is an observational case-control. The case group included 64 women with a breast cancer diagnosis. Breast cancer incidence by age group was obtained. Participants were characterized concerning cancer risk factors, namely smoking habits, alcohol consumption and breastfeeding. A risk score was attributed to each woman through the Tyrer-Cuzick™ risk model, and subsequent stratification into several risk groups was done. Finally, the relationship between intermediate to high-risk scores and breast cancer development was studied. Results: We found no statistically significant differences between breast cancer incidences in women between the ages of 40 and 49 vs. 50 to 69, in the Health Units under study. There was no statistically significant link between the studied risk factors and breast cancer development. We observed a statistically significant relationship between intermediate to high-risk scores and the development of breast cancer (OR 10.0 with p = 0.0009). Conclusion: These results support screening from the age of 40 and the applicability of a patient-centered model, given that the screening tool has high sensibility.