Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the UK, with one in seven women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. According to Cancer Research UK, approximately 11,500 people die from breast cancer each year in the UK, making it the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the region. Diagnosing breast cancer as efficiently as possible is paramount to preventing these deaths, as breast cancer survival is dependent on the severity of the cancer and stage at diagnosis. The National Health Service’s (NHS) new Early Detection using Information Technology in Health (EDITH) trial, which aims to use AI to detect breast cancer, shows promising potential in reducing the time taken to diagnose women after receiving a mammogram.
Breast cancer is usually identified after the detection of a lump or swelling in the breast, chest, or armpit. It may also present as a change in the texture, colour, or shape of the nipple or skin surrounding the breast. The individual may also notice discharge from the nipple.
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The NHS and breast cancer awareness charities such as CoppaFeel! are promoting and normalising regular self-examinations to detect the symptoms of breast cancer and other conditions, to assist in the earlier detection of the cancer. The NHS also offers breast cancer screening to women every three years from the age of 50 until they are 71 years old – at these screening appointments women will receive a mammogram, which is an X-ray of the breast that can help detect breast cancer in women without symptoms. More than two million mammograms are carried out in the NHS every year and currently, two radiologists are required to review the images from each screening to ensure accuracy.
AI is already being tested in the NHS in a variety of ways, including helping to deliver cancer treatment, managing waiting lists, and checking cancer scans. However, the EDITH trial, announced by the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care on 4 February 2025, is the most significant AI-related trial covering breast cancer. The NHS plans to use AI to identify changes in breast tissue that show possible signs of cancer in images obtained from mammograms. If effective, the use of AI for this initial step will mean that only one radiologist will be required to complete the process – this will reduce the workload for radiologists, and hopefully help to reduce wait times. The trial, which is backed by £11m ($13.76m) in government support via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has recruited 700,000 women who have routine NHS screenings already scheduled across 30 sites from April 2025, to see if AI is effective in speeding up diagnosis and increasing capacity for radiologists.
Leading data and analytics company GlobalData‘s epidemiologists currently anticipate that there will be 59,000 diagnosed incident cases of breast cancer in the UK in 2025, which is forecast to increase to 64,000 cases by 2033. If AI can be used to detect these cases earlier, it is likely patient outcomes will be less severe. If the EDITH trial proves effective for breast cancer screening, it could transform care approaches for all types of cancer.
