The £11 million Early Detection using Information Technology in Health (Edith) trial will invite approximately 700,000 women already booked for routine NHS screenings to participate
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in breast cancer screening trials across the UK is set to revolutionize patient care by increasing the number of patients treated and reducing the strain on radiologists.
Currently, two radiologists are required to examine mammogram images to ensure accuracy. With AI integration being rolled out to 30 testing sites, experts hope the technology will free up one radiologist, allowing more patients to be screened faster.
Dr. Katharine Halliday, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, highlighted AI’s transformative potential. “Machine learning could have a major impact on radiology given the volume and complexity of breast screening,” she said, while cautioning that it is a “rigorous study” that will “take time.”
Halliday emphasized the urgency of building radiology capacity, citing a projected 40 percent shortfall in consultant radiologists by 2028.
The £11 million Early Detection using Information Technology in Health (Edith) trial will invite approximately 700,000 women already booked for routine NHS screenings to participate.
The government aims to use the trial’s findings to inform a national cancer plan focused on improving research, diagnosis, screening, treatment, and prevention, leveraging AI as a key component.
Professor Peter Johnson, the NHS’s national clinical director for cancer, expressed optimism about the initiative. “The NHS is diagnosing more cancers at an early stage than ever before — when treatment is most likely to be effective — but we know we need to accelerate progress further,” he said.
Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, stressed the importance of evidence-backed changes to the screening programme. “Any new innovation or tool must be safe and effective for women,” she stated.
According to Breast Cancer Now, around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year. The introduction of AI in screening aims to revolutionize treatment, reduce mortality rates, and ensure the NHS remains at the forefront of cancer care innovations.
