Breast cancer detection advances through screening and AI research

Efforts to combat breast cancer continue through both public health initiatives and technological advancements in medical imaging. In Croatia, the National Program for Early Detection of Breast Cancer has been active since 2006, offering free mammograms to women aged 49 to 70. The program conducts approximately 150,000 screenings annually, with a response rate of about 70%. Early detection through this program has identified over 8,300 new carcinomas, contributing to a decrease in breast cancer mortality.

In the field of medical technology, research is focusing on improving diagnostic tools for radiologists. A master's thesis by Lenart Rupnik presents a design for breast cancer prediction based on the segmentation of mammographic images. By utilizing and fine-tuning the MedSAM pre-trained model with the CSAW-CC dataset, the research aims to create explainable tools that increase radiologist confidence. The study achieved a Dice coefficient of 0.72 and an IoU of 0.59, with radiologists expressing satisfaction with the predictions in surveys.