The MERIT Mammography Cohort to Develop Improved Screening for Breast Cancer Through Integration of AI and Blood Based Biomarkers

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer death. While mammography screening reduces mortality, it faces criticism for overscreening, false positives, and overdiagnosis of non-threatening cancers. These issues cause significant patient anxiety and strain the healthcare system. Improved personalized risk assessment methods are needed to refine screening and preventive strategies. The MERIT (Mammography, Early Detection, Risk Assessment, and Imaging Technologies) cohort addresses this need. By integrating multi-modal data-including patient characteristics, biomarkers, radiomic data, and radiologist interpretations-MERIT aims to develop advanced predictive models. This approach seeks to enhance risk assessment precision, optimize screening protocols, reduce unnecessary procedures, and improve patient outcomes. [This project was completed with contributions from Ehsan Irajizad, Samir Hanash, Olena Weaver, Jessica Leung, and Jennifer Dennison from UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.]Honors Colleg