A pioneering project in Birmingham is aiming to reduce the number of women having unnecessary surgery following breast screening, it has been announced.
Doctors plan to test ways of identifying women who are at low risk despite anomalies being found during screening.
During the trial, known as LORIS or Low Risk DCIS Trial, doctors will seek to identify women with ductal carcinoma in situ abnormalities in the milk ducts who do not need surgery.
Some women will be offered routine surgery while others will simply be offered monitoring. Researchers from Brighton and Sussex Medical School will assess their psychological state.
Researcher Dr Daniel Rea, a cancer specialist at Birmingham University, UK, said: “Breast screening is an effective way of reducing breast cancer deaths and is an important component of breast cancer treatment.
"The surgical approach to DCIS has not kept pace with the changes in the spectrum of breast disease brought about through both the introduction of screening and the on-going series of changes and improvements to the screening service that have been introduced.
“Screening saves lives – and this trial is a step towards strengthening the net benefits of the existing screening programme.”
Leave a Reply