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The trial is currently recruiting over 2000 women per month at 8 NHS Breast Screening Programme (BSP) trial centres in England – total number recruited to end June is 52,909. The successful recruitment rate is due to the dedicated work by the trial site recruitments teams supported by Cancer Research Network colleagues and Trust research staff. The trial is on course to meet the recruitment target of 70,000 by the end of March 2025.
Will the detection of more small cancers result in fewer breast cancer deaths, and what effect would 3D mammography have on the cost of screening?
We are working closely with Professor Stephen Duffy and colleagues, Queen Mary University, London who have advised on the trial design and recruitment numbers. The trial is designed to measure the difference in accuracy in both cancer detection and the rate of false positive screens between standard and 3D mammography. The effectiveness will be assessed by measuring any difference in the interval cancer rates in the 2 arms of the trial (breast cancers diagnosed in the 3-year interval between routine screens)
A key publication on the use of synthetic 2D mammography (a 2D image derived from the tomosynthesis images) has led to the cessation of use of standard 2D mammography in the intervention arm of the trial with a significant reduction in radiation dose.
Dr Huajie Jin and colleagues at the Department of Health Economics, University of London are working on the cost impact of 3D mammography screening. This analysis addresses all factors including equipment, data storage, diagnostic assessment and treatment.
What impact will the trial have on routine breast cancer screening?
There are ongoing rapid developments in breast screening technology as well as improvements in our understanding of risk for developing breast cancer. Large scale trials such as PROSPECTS and other trials currently being conducted in the UK and abroad will provide robust data on the effectiveness and cost of new technology in practice. The results will inform future discussion on the provision of the most effective screening service and will enable enhanced screening to be offered according to risk.
Dr Nisha Sharma, Director of Breast Screening and Clinical Lead for breast imaging at the Trust said: “The Breast Screening unit at Leeds Teaching Hospital are delighted to be taking part in the Prospects trial. We recognise the importance of research and engaging the whole team. In our unit the radiographers are responsible for obtaining consent and I believe this approach engages the clinical team and this is reflected in our consistently high uptake figures.
“We are proud to be able to offer this research to women attending for breast screening in our region and as a community hoping to make a difference to the future of breast screening”.