By Carolyn Nickson
Publication Date: 2026-03-04 00:40:00
At least 20,000 Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. And more than 3,300 die from the disease.
To save women’s lives, we must detect breast cancer early. The key is breast screening, which halves women’s risk of dying from breast cancer.
A new Australian study published today in The Lancet Digital Health suggests AI could help improve breast cancer prevention.
How do we currently screen for breast cancer?
Since 1992, Australia has offered free breast X-rays, called mammograms, every two years to women aged 50 to 74. Just over half of eligible women participate.
Of women diagnosed with cancer, about 25% are diagnosed between biennial exams. These “interval cancers” are often aggressive and, unfortunately, more likely to be fatal.
In some cases they may have been detected earlier by a more sensitive screening test.
The role of AI
The Australian BreastScreen program was established in response to several important…
