The UK government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that almost 700,000 women will be taking part in a “landmark” trial to evaluate how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to detect breast cancer earlier.
The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health (EDITH) trial, unveiled this World Cancer Day (4 February 2025), is backed by £11m of government support via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Women who are already booked in for routine breast cancer screenings on the NHS will be invited to take part in the study, which will test five AI platforms across 30 sites.
Breast cancer screening is offered every three years to women aged between 50 and 71 years, and involves taking X-rays of the breasts, called mammograms. These are then used to identify changes in the breast tissue that could indicate early signs of cancer.
Two specialists are currently needed per mammogram screening, but it is hoped that the AI technology in the trial will enable just one to complete the same mammogram screening process safely and efficiently.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, with approximately 55,000 cases of the disease diagnosed every year in the UK.
Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at the DHSC and chief executive officer of the NIHR said: “This landmark trial could lead to a significant step forward in the early detection of breast cancer, offering women faster, more accurate diagnoses when it matters most.”
The launch of the trial comes as the government launches a ‘call for evidence’ to help shape the development of a new national cancer plan.
Due to be published later this year, the plan will set out targeted actions to reduce cancer-related deaths and improve the experiences of patients along their cancer journeys. It will also include specific actions for rarer cancers such as those affecting children.
NHS national clinical director for cancer, Peter Johnson, said: “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.
“A national cancer plan will give us the chance to do just that… and ensure the NHS is at the cutting edge of new cancer developments and innovations in the future.”