Researchers find that deep learning model can predict breast cancer risk

Researchers have developed a deep learning model that identifies imaging biomarkers on screening mammograms to predict a patient's risk for developing breast cancer with greater accuracy than traditional risk assessment tools. Traditional risk assessment models do not leverage the level of detail that is contained within a mammogram," said study author Leslie Lamb from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US. "Even the best existing traditional risk models may separate sub-groups of patients but are not as precise on the individual level," Lamb added. Currently available risk assessment models incorporate only a small fraction of patient data such as family history, prior breast biopsies, and hormonal and reproductive history. Only one feature from the screening mammogram itself, breast density, is incorporated into traditional models.