AI shows promise in finding breast cancer earlier
05 Feb 2026
Researchers say the results are encouraging, but stress that AI should be used carefully alongside health professionals.
The international study followed around 100,000 women in Sweden who had regular mammograms between 2021 and 2022. The women were screened at four locations and were randomly placed into two groups. One group had their mammograms checked with the help of AI, while the other group received the usual screening where two radiologists reviewed each image.
In the AI-supported group, a special computer system first looked at the mammograms. Scans that appeared low risk were checked by one radiologist, while higher-risk scans were reviewed by two. The AI also highlighted areas that looked suspicious to help doctors during their assessment.
The study found that using AI helped detect more cancers without increasing the number of false alarms. Women who had AI-assisted screening were 12% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer between screening visits, suggesting fewer cancers were missed.
After two years, the number of cancers found between screenings was lower in the AI group compared to the standard screening group. The AI group also had fewer invasive, large and aggressive cancers. Overall, 81% of cancers were detected during screening in the AI group, compared with 74% in the standard group. False positive rates were almost the same in both groups.
Lead researcher Dr Kristina Lång said this is the first large randomised trial to study AI in breast cancer screening. She said while AI can improve early detection, it should not replace doctors. Human radiologists are still needed, with AI acting as a support tool and requiring ongoing monitoring to ensure safe use.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/
Source: The Lancet
