The P.I.N.K. Study Approach for Supporting Personalized Risk Assessment and Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Michela Franchini, Stefania Pieroni, Edgardo Montrucchio, Jacopo Nori Cucchiari, Cosimo Di Maggio, Enrico Cassano, Brunella Di Nubila, Gian Marco Giuseppetti, Alberto Nicolucci, Gianfranco Scaperrotta, Paolo Belli, Sonia Santicchia, Sabrina Molinaro and on behalf of the PINK Consortium
Additional contact information
Michela Franchini: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Stefania Pieroni: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Edgardo Montrucchio: Senologica SrL, 19124 La Spezia, Italy
Jacopo Nori Cucchiari: Breast Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Cosimo Di Maggio: Studimed Cadorna Srl, 35123 Padova, Italy
Enrico Cassano: Istituto Europeo di Oncologia IRCCS, 20141 Milano, Italy
Brunella Di Nubila: Istituto Europeo di Oncologia IRCCS, 20141 Milano, Italy
Gian Marco Giuseppetti: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Ancona, 60030 Ancona, Italy
Alberto Nicolucci: Studi Michelangelo SrL, 50129 Firenze, Italy
Gianfranco Scaperrotta: Istituto Tumori, 20133 Milano, Italy
Paolo Belli: F. Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
Sonia Santicchia: AUSL della Romagna Centro di Prevenzione Oncologica, 47923 Rimini, Italy
Sabrina Molinaro: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy
on behalf of the PINK Consortium: Membership of the PINK Consortium is provided in the Acknowledgments.

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: Breast cancer is a clear example of excellent survival when it is detected and properly treated in the early stage. Currently, screening of this cancer relies on mammography, which may be integrated by new imaging techniques for more exhaustive evaluation. The Personalized, Integrated, Network, Knowledge (P.I.N.K.) study is a longitudinal multicentric study involving several diagnostic centres across Italy, co-ordinated by the Italian National Research Council and co-funded by the Umberto Veronesi Foundation. Aim of the study is to evaluate the increased diagnostic accuracy in detecting cancers obtained with different combinations of imaging technologies, and find the most effective diagnostic pathway matching the characteristics of an individual patient. The study foresees the enrolment of 50,000 women over the age of 40 years presenting for breast examination and providing informed consent to data handling. So far, the 15 participating centres across Italy have recruited a total of 22,848 patients. Based on the analyses of the first 175 histopathological-proven breast cancers, mammographic sensitivity was estimated to be 61.7% ( n = 108 cancers), whereas diagnostic accuracy increased by 35.5% ( n = 44 cancers) when mammography was integrated with other imaging modalities (ultrasound and/or digital breast tomosynthesis). Increase was mainly determined by ultrasound alone. Given the ongoing data collection and recruitment, the number of cancers detected is too low to allow any further in-depth analysis to explore links to patient characteristics. Past studies show that the uniform approach of population screening guidelines should be revised in favour of more personalised regimens, where known standards are integrated by imaging techniques most suitable for the individual’s characteristics. With the ultimate goal of identifying early breast cancer detection strategies, our preliminary results suggest that integrated diagnostic approach could lead to a paradigm shift from an age-based regimen toward more specific and effective risk-based personalised screening regimens, in order to reduce mortality from breast cancer.

Keywords: breast cancer; early diagnosis; integrated imaging techniques; personalized medicine; web based data collection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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