BreastScreen Australia have outlined its intention to move the program into a new era of increased participation and risk-stratified screening. It is a bold strategy, which if implemented, could see Australia as an international leader in adopting an agile public screening program capable of adapting to emerging technologies.

A new study led by InforMD member A/Prof Kara Britt has found that breast cancers arising in dense breast tissue, which are known to be more aggressive than those from low density, have greater genome instability and immune activity. This might explain their aggressive nature but also, importantly, indicate that they may be responsive to immunotherapy.

A new study led by InforMD member A/Prof Jennifer Stone has found higher rates of interval-detected breast cancers in the first year after women are notified they have dense breasts, compared to the second year. This study highlights the importance of providing information that enables women to seek further advice and potentially supplementary screening, if recommended.

The Australian Breast Density Consumer Advisory Council has published a consumer-authored Perspective calling for a nationally consistent approach to breast density notification and clear pathways for women and health professionals to act on the information.

Australian GPs now have access to much-needed guidance to help patients manage breast density. This new resource, published by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, fills a critical gap in clinical practice.

Save the Date! The inaugural BRiM Summit will be held in Perth, Western Australia September 15-17, 2026. The Summit brings together leading international experts in breast cancer risk management to present high-quality research, inform clinical guidance and drive change in public health policy to improve prevention and early detection of breast cancer.

For years, women attending public breast screening programs in Australia received their mammogram results with little mention of breast density, apart from in Western Australia. But in South Australia, that began to change. In 2022, BreastScreen SA introduced a pilot program notifying women of their breast density category (A, B, C, or D) and then asked a key question: how did they feel about it?

The BRAID trial (Breast Screening: Risk Adapted Imaging for Density) is a large UK-based study that’s testing whether extra imaging can help detect more cancers in women with dense breasts, especially when mammograms come back as “normal.” The interim results, published in The Lancet in May 2025, are already giving us useful insights into how breast cancer screening could be made more effective.

In a landmark policy change, BreastScreen Australia now recommends that breast density be reported to women as part of routine mammographic screening. This new position is in contrast to the 2020 statement that recommended “BreastScreen Australia should not routinely record breast density”.

A new publication by InforMD members has highlighted the potential for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in identifying women with increased breast cancer risk. The opinion piece, published in Trends in Cancer, explores how AI can help clinicians to better identify features on a mammogram that indicate a high risk of developing breast cancer.