BreastScreen Reader Assessment Strategy

In March 2024, the BREAST team ran a workshop at the BreastScreen conference in Canberra. We released our latest test set ‘High breast density’ which contains 60 cases and 2 CPD hours can be claimed.

In addition, for the first time, we offered our sessions to radiographers for a study our PhD student is currently running – looking at the use of priors and without during screening. This study is open to all of our readers, including radiologists, breast physicians and registrars. If you are interested, please contact Mel Robinson, the BREAST program manager.

Furthermore, if you are interested in participating in a study that involves AI and breast screening, please contact Mel. We currently have two different studies; one using AI to create test sets for an individual reader to personally improve in areas of weakness. This can be done remotely. The second study, funded by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, will begin recruiting in late April and will involve using an AI interface when reading a BREAST-designed test set. However, this study can only be conducted in person in Sydney.

Just a reminder, BREAST has upgraded our online platform that now enables all readers to utilise our test sets without the need for PACS.

Please follow us on twitter for all the newest updates #Syd_Breast.

High quality breast imaging and accurate image assessment are critical to the early diagnoses, treatment and management of women with cancer. Mammography is the primary diagnostic tool for detecting breast cancer with 800,000 women X-rayed annually in Australia however, it fails to detect 30% of breast cancers, with many missed cancers being visible on the image. The BreastScreen Reader Assessment Strategy (BREAST) monitors mistakes, identify reasons for mammographic errors and create innovative solutions to reduce errors.

BREAST is based on digital screen reading test sets designed to assess the performance of radiologists and radiology registrars. Developed by a team of researchers at the University of Sydney in collaboration with Cancer Institute NSW in 2011, BREAST has made it possible for thousands of clinicians to assess their performance on high-quality test sets in mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis, at workshops and in their own clinics. This immediate feedback is made possible through the online app, BreastAustralia. To view how BreastAustralia works, check out our video.

The data generated by BREAST are de-identified and used for further research in the fields of radiology performance, perception science, medical imaging technologies, breast imaging optimisation, and other domains.

These features make BREAST a powerful radiology training and research tool that is being used in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Middle East, and Europe.

Contacts

BREAST Manager
Susan Wakil Health Building, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006
 +61 2 8627 1805  breastaustralia@sydney.edu.au