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Artificial intelligence for risk-stratified breast cancer screening: a systematic review of evidence, clinical integration, and ethical implications in risk assessment tools

delete2026-05-18
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PRE
AI
F
Filippo Pesapane *
F
Francesca Caumo
P
Paola Mantellini
G
Giovanni Irmici
C
Catherine Depretto
S
Silvia Penco
A
Anna Rotili
C
Chiara Trentin
V
Valeria Dominelli
G
Giovanni Corso
F
Francesca Magnoni
M
Matteo Lazzeroni
S
Sonia Santicchia
G
Gianfranco Scaperrotta
E
Enrico Cassano
DOI:10.1007/s11547-026-02217-wdelete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Conventional age-based breast cancer screening ignores substantial inter-individual risk variation, contributing to overdiagnosis, false positives, and missed opportunities for earlier detection in high-risk women. Mammography-based artificial intelligence (AI) may enable risk-stratified screening and more efficient workflows. To systematically review evidence on mammography-based AI for personalized breast cancer screening, covering risk prediction, detection/triage, decision support, and associated ethical, economic, and equity implications. We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library (January 2015–November 2025) for studies evaluating AI-enabled personalization in breast cancer screening. Two reviewers independently screened 612 records, assessed 77 full texts, and included 30 studies; data were synthesized narratively. Image-based deep-learning risk models consistently outperformed traditional clinical risk tools and enriched future cancers within small high-risk strata, including cancers presenting as interval cancers in recent validations. Prospective trials and real-world implementations indicate that AI-supported reading can maintain or modestly improve cancer detection while reducing radiologist workload by roughly 40–50%. Decision-analytic models suggest that AI-enabled risk-stratified policies may be cost-effective but rely on assumptions and lack prospective confirmation of long-term endpoints. Key evidence gaps include prospective demonstration that acting on AI-derived risk reduces interval/advanced cancers, subgroup equity performance, explainability, and governance. AI is a credible enabler of personalized mammography screening, with the most mature near-term use cases being identification of women at highest short-term risk for intensified surveillance and workflow optimization via AI-supported reading. Interval extension for low-risk groups should be implemented only within carefully monitored pilots and prospective outcome studies, with predefined safety, equity audits, and governance safeguards.
Keywords:
Breast neoplasms
Mammography
Artificial intelligence
Machine learning
Deep learning
Risk assessment
Precision medicine
Mass screening
Risk-stratified cancer screening
Ethics
Medical
Health equity

Journal

La radiologia medica cover
La radiologia medica
IF:
4.8
Papers:
206
Citations:
0

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ispro
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16
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I
ieo european institute of oncology irccs
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92
Papers: 22
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P
pederzoli hospital
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50
Papers: 29
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F
Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori
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518
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Citations: 7.2K
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