Archived Press Announcements (2004-2018)

February 2018 - A new BCSC study found that family history of breast cancer continues to significantly increase chances of developing invasive breast tumors in aging women. More at this link.

February 2018 - New breast cancer MRI paper by KPWHRI's Diana Buist and colleagues: "Findings support the need to define and identify the appropriate selection of women for MRI screening to minimize the harms in women who are at low risk for breast cancer ... We need to use this technology more appropriately and do a better job of using MRI in women who will benefit from it." Can be found here.

August 2017 - Dr. Karla Kerlikowske participated in an interview on breast density for BBC radio: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0901fr4

April 2017 - The BCSC National Performance Benchmarks were featured in an April, 2017 RSNA podcast as well as the following YouTube video.

May 2017 - Karla Kerlikowske was interviewed by UC Science Today regarding her publications on BMI and breast cancer risk and the risk of breast cancer for younger women with dense breasts.

March 2017 - Two recent BCSC studies show that newer mammography technology may be able to detect more breast cancers: http://www.consumerreports.org/breast-cancer/the-trouble-with-breast-cancer-tests/

February 2017 - A new BCSC article on national performance benchmarks for modern diagnostic digital mammography has been covered in numerous outlets including EurekaAlert! and CBS News.

February 2017 - UCSF News Center covered a BCSC article on cancer risk factors: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2017/02/405711/dense-breasts-eclipse-all-other-known-breast-cancer-risk-factors

December 2016 - Health Imaging posted an article on a BCSC study looking at interpretation rates in modern screening mammography: http://www.healthimaging.com/topics/womens-health/breast-imaging/attention-must-be-paid-high-abnormal-interpretation-rates-modern-screening-mammography

February 2016 - Health imaging mentioned the BCSC in an article about breast cancer screening: https://www.healthimaging.com/topics/womens-imaging/tomosynthesis-and-brave-new-world-breast-cancer-screening

2016 - Medscape covered a BCSC article and editorial on mammography performance. In one quote, Dr. Miglioretti stressed we need larger studies at facilities in community practice: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/859420

April 2016 - Drs. Houssami and Miglioretti published a new book: "Breast Cancer Screening: Making Sense of Complex and Evolving Evidence.

March 2016 - Common Health quoted Drs. Miglioretti and Lee in a series of articles on data quality measures for mammography:

October 2015 - Several recent BCSC papers contributed to the recent ACS guideline changes regarding breast cancer screening recommendations. A sample of the news coverage is below:

June 2015 - A BCSC publication lead by Karla Kerlikowske (Kerlikowske K, et al. "Identifying Women with Dense Breasts at High Risk of Interval Cancer." Ann Intern Med. 2015 May 19;162(10):673-81. PMID: 25984843 [View Abstract]) received wide news attention and was the third most emailed story in the New York Times. The study concluded that breast density should not be the sole criterion for identifying women who should receive counseling about supplemental imaging. Breast cancer risk combined with breast density categories can identify women for whom supplemental imaging discussions are most appropriate.

Read about it:

April 2015 - Diana Miglioretti's publication, "Criteria for identifying radiologists with acceptable screening mammography interpretive performance on basis of multiple performance measures" was featured in the April issue of AuntMinnie.

May 2015 - Casey Luce's blogpost, "New breast cancer risk calculator factors in density" was featured in the Group Health Research Institute's "Healthy Findings" blog.

October 2014 - Group Health "In the News" highlighted a recent BCSC publication: How can radiologists detect breast cancer more accurately?

October 2014 - Dr. Buist discusses the above topic as part of a podcast in the November 2014 issue of Radiology, "Effect of Work-Up Volume on Performance".

October 2014 - Dr. Buist was also interviewed for the following article in HealthDay (syndicated in Medical Xpress, etc.), Oct 29, 2014, "Better radiologist performance on own recalled screens".

October 2014 - The October 2014 version of NCI's Spotlight on Applied Research featured a write-up on the BCSC as a collaborative research network supported by HSEB: NCI Spotlight on Applied Research, October 28, 2014.

March 2014 - Each year, the American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO) votes on the 16 highest ranked abstracts, which are published in the March issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention (CEBP). Two BCSC-related papers were selected as the top abstracts:

  • Bolton KC, Mace JL, Vacek PM, Geller BM, Weaver DL, Sprague BL. Changes in the Breast Cancer Risk Distribution among Women Utilizing Screening Mammography in Vermont Between 2001 and 2012. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev March 2014 23:564; doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0068 (Uses data from Vermont Registry) [View Abstract]; and
  • Brinton JT, Hendrick RE, Ringham BM, Glueck DH. Improving the Diagnostic Accuracy of a Stratified Screening Strategy by Identifying the Optimal Risk Cutoff. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev March 2014 23:565; doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0071. [View Abstract] (Uses publicly available BCSC risk data).

January 2014 - Several news releases and outlets highlighted Karen Wernli's recent BCSC publication in JAMA Internal Medicine. Samples are listed below:

January 2014 - The January 2014 version of NCI's Spotlight on Applied Research featured several recent BCSC findings including Dr. Wernli's:

  • NCI Spotlight on Applied Research, Jan 6, 2014: BCSC reports novel findings in breast cancer risk & screening effectiveness.

December 2013 - American College of Radiology (ACR) BI-RADS Atlas (5th edition) 
The BCSC played a major part in the revision of the 5th edition. Specifically, BCSC benchmarks are included in the report alongside annually updated comparisons to other NMD participants.

October 2013 - Group Health "In the News" highlighted a newly funded grant which will use BCSC Research Resource data: Group Health wins two PCORI awards for patient-centered research Breast cancer study and new national data network receive funding. 

September 2013 - Tracy Onega's paper was recognized as Editor's Choice in the Clinical Practice category for 2012. (Note: posted September 2013; Recognition of this award was published in the January 2013 issue of JACR.)

September 2013 - Six BCSC papers were selected for publication in Radiology Select: Breast Cancer Screening's fourth collection.

(Note: Posted September 2013. Each collection has approximately 30 articles selected as the best research and review articles published in Radiology in the last 5-7 years. They also held a video podcast at RSNA (November, 2012) with some of the authors on these papers.)

See the list of the six BCSC papers:

  • Rosenberg RD, Yankaskas BC, Abraham LA, Sickles EA, Lehman CD, Geller BM, Carney PA, Kerlikowske K, Buist DS, Weaver DL, Barlow WE, Ballard-Barbash R. Performance benchmarks for screening mammography. Radiology. 2006 Oct;241(1):55-66. [View Abstract]
  • Buist DS, Anderson ML, Haneuse SJ, Sickles EA, Smith RA, Carney PA, Taplin SH, Rosenberg RD, Geller BM, Onega TL, Monsees BS, Bassett LW, Yankaskas BC, Elmore JG, Kerlikowske K, Miglioretti DL. Influence of Annual Interpretive Volume on Screening Mammography Performance in the United States. Radiology. 2011 Apr;259(1):72-84. Epub 2011 Feb 22. [View Abstract]
  • Carney PA, Sickles EA, Monsees BS, Bassett LW, Brenner RJ, Feig SA, Smith RA, Rosenberg RD, Bogart TA, Browning S, Barry JW, Kelly MM, Tran KA, Miglioretti DL. Identifying minimally acceptable interpretive performance criteria for screening mammography. Radiology. 2010 May;255(2):354-61. This article was the #3 most-read article in Radiology from May-July 2010. [View Abstract]
  • Yankaskas BC, May RC, Matuszewski J, Bowling JM, Jarman MP, Schroeder BF. Effect of Observing Change from Comparison Mammograms on Performance of Screening Mammography in a Large Community-based Population. Radiology. 2011 Dec;261(3):762-70. doi: 10.1148/radiol.11110653. Epub 2011 Oct 26. [View Abstract]
  • Schell MJ, Yankaskas BC, Ballard-Barbash R, Qaqish BF, Barlow WE, Rosenberg RD, Smith-Bindman R. Evidence-based target recall rates for screening mammography. Radiology. 2007 Jun;243(3):681-9. [View Abstract]
  • Elmore JG, Jackson S, Abraham L, Miglioretti DL, Carney PA, Geller B, Yankaskas BC, Kerlikowske K, Onega T, Rosenberg RD, Sickles EA, Buist DSM. Variability in interpretive performance of screening mammography and radiologist characteristics associated with accuracy. Radiology. 2009 Dec;253(3):641-51. Epub 2009 Oct 28. [View Abstract]

February 2013 - A UCSF Press release came out in conjunction with electronic publication in JNCI of Dejana Braithwaite's manuscript, "Screening outcomes in older U.S. women undergoing multiple mammograms in community practice: does interval, age or comorbidity score affect tumor characteristics or false positive rates?"

March 2013 - Biennial mammograms best for ages 50 74, even with dense breasts.

May 2013 - Radiology Podcast on May 1, 2013. Discussion with Dr. Carney.

January 2013 - Breast Cancer Risk Increases With Repeated CT Imaging

Researchers reviewing the records of approximately 250,000 women enrolled in an integrated healthcare delivery system found that increased CT utilization between 2000 and 2010 could result in an increase in the risk of breast cancer for certain women, including younger patients and those who received repeat exams. This appeared in the Clinical Cancer Letter, Vol. 35, No. 12, December 2012. (A paid subscription is required to view the content.)

January 2013 - Gierach GL, et al. Relationship between mammographic density and breast cancer death in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Journal of National Cancer Institute. This paper was discussed in two news releases:

The risk of dying from breast cancer was not related to high mammographic breast density in breast cancer patients.

January 2013 - The Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium: A Valuable Research Resource

This appeared in the Applied Research Program, Spotlight on Applied Research, Issue 3.

April 2012 - Risk factors may inform breast cancer screening; mammograms might benefit women in their 40s with family history or dense breasts

Choosing when to start regular breast cancer screening is a complicated decision for individual women and their providers.

October 2011 - Yearly mammograms? Expect a 'false positive' each decade; Annals of Internal Medicine publishes Group Health-led national study

Cumulative probability of false-positive recall or biopsy recommendation after 10 years of screening mammography.

January 2013 - Stopping hormones might help breast cancer to regress

Screening mammography use among current, former, and never hormone therapy users may not explain recent declines in breast cancer incidence.

February 2011 - Screening mammograms catch second breast cancers early

More women are surviving longer after having early-stage breast cancer, but they are at risk of developing breast cancer again.

November 9, 2009 - Scientists Uncover New Key to the Puzzle of Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer

The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which BCSC researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer.

December 5, 2008 - After Menopause, Weight Affects Breast Cancer Rates More than Mammography Use

Results published by the BCSC show that post menopausal women who are overweight have an increased risk of breast cancer that is not explained by the frequency or accuracy of their previous mammograms.

November 10, 2008 - Breast Density in Mammography and Cancer Risk

BCSC investigators discuss recent findings, hypotheses, and clinical considerations surrounding the role of breast density in breast cancer risk.

March 5, 2008 - Researchers Validate New Model for Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Multiple Ethnic Groups

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have developed a way to quickly estimate a woman's risk for invasive breast cancer. The new model, based on a measure of breast density that is already reported with the majority of mammograms today, is the first to be validated across multiple ethnic groups living in the United States.

December 12, 2007 - Radiologist Characteristics Associated with Interpretive Performance of Diagnostic Mammography

  • Read coverage in the Chicago Tribune

Radiologists' interpretation of diagnostic mammograms varies widely and could not be explained by differences in patient populations, according to a study published online December 11 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This variation could affect clinical decisions in large numbers of women.

August 22, 2007 - Declines in Invasive Breast Cancer and Use of Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy in a Screening Mammography Population

Between 2002 and 2003, the incidence of breast cancer declined nearly 7 percent in the United States and remained low through 2004. This sharp decrease was reported in December 2006, and since then researchers have been trying to explain the good news. BCSC investigators examined screening rates and hormone use in more than 600,000 women from 1997 through 2003. Researchers found the decline in mammography rates is unlikely to explain the recent decline in U.S. breast cancers while a drop in hormone use is a more likely contributor.

April 5, 2007 - Computer-aided Detection Reduces the Accuracy of Mammograms

Computer-aided detection (CAD) that uses software designed to improve how radiologists interpret mammograms may instead make readings less accurate, according to new research. Use of CAD did not clearly improve the detection of breast cancer. The research was conducted by investigators at the University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, Calif., and colleagues in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, which is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

March 22, 2007 - Improving Mammography Quality, Expanding Screening Research

A new study using BCSC data published in the March 7 Journal of the National Cancer Institute discusses an important piece of information on the use of breast density in calculating risk: that two or more measurements of density over time may be better at predicting risk than a single measurement.

January 19, 2007 - BCSC AIM Project Highlighted in Society of Breast Imaging Newsletter (PDF)

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) was recently awarded $2.5 million from the Breast Cancer Stamp Fund and the American Cancer Society to help support new research on how to improve mammographic interpretation. The title of the project is "Assessing and Improving Mammography (AIM)". The funding provided by the American Cancer Society is provided through a generous donation from the Longaberger® Company's Horizon of Hope Campaign®. This is a novel collaboration among public and private agencies that builds on the BCSC's history of collaborative research.

September 6, 2006 - Breast Density Helps Predict Breast Cancer Risk 

Two new models for assessing patients' risk of developing breast cancer focus on breast density as an important predictor, two studies report in the September 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. (Also see the National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet "Estimating Breast Cancer Risk: Questions and Answers".)

April 17, 2006 - Mammography Screenings for Breast Cancer Show Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco site have found that inadequate use of screening mammography may be an important reason that African-American women are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer than members of other ethnic groups.

Medical Malpractice Concerns Lead to More Breast Biopsies - June 28, 2005

Some women may be undergoing unnecessary diagnostic imaging and breast biopsies because radiologists are worried about medical malpractice suits, according to a study in the July issue of Radiology.

April 17, 2006 - Older Doctors Specializing in High Volume Screening Mammography Deliver More Accurate Results 

Physicians who specialize in screening mammography and who have at least 25 years of experience are more accurate at interpreting the images and subject fewer women to the anxiety of false positives for cancer, when compared to physicians with less experience or those who don't have the same focus, according to a new study.

January 27, 2004 - Breast Implants Interfere with Mammograms (PDF) 

Breast implants decrease the ability of mammography to detect breast cancer, according to a large national study led by researchers from Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. This study is published in the January 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.