VBCSS Investigator Michelle Sowden, DO, Invested as Green and Gold Professor
October 14, 2024
In a formal ceremony held on October 14, 2024, at the University of Vermont’s Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, Michelle Sowden, DO, was invested as the inaugural holder of the Department of Surgery's Green and Gold Professorship of Surgical Oncology. She is also the Clinical Director of Surgical Oncology at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Dr. Sowden has guided dozens of medical students, residents, and undergraduate students in her role as a mentor. She has received several research awards and grants, including her most recent work as a co-investigator on an NCI-funded R01 grant to develop a risk prediction model for the upgrade of high-risk benign breast lesions diagnosed via needle biopsy. Click here to read more about the celebration.
Former VBCSS Trainee, Yi-Chuan Yu, Named 2024 Outstanding Young Alumni Award Winner
September 26, 2024
Yi-Chuan Yu conducted his undergraduate honor's thesis with the VBCSS on trends in breast cancer biopsy in Vermont in 2018-2019, for which he received the Distinguished Undergraduate Research Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is currently a PhD student in epidemiology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Yi-Chuan has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the field of cancer prevention research since his graduation from UVM, constantly applying the knowledge and skills he gained on campus to make significant contributions to the field of cancer epidemiology. He has authored and published a remarkable nine peer-reviewed scientific articles in globally recognized journals. He has presented his work at two American Association of Cancer Research conferences, among the largest and most esteemed conferences in the world, underscoring his stature as a promising young leader in cancer research. Click here to view a short video about Yi-Chuan's achievements.
VBCSS Staff Member, Tiffany Sharp, Nominated for Dean's Excellence in Research Award for Clinical Research Coordinator role
September 26, 2024
Long-time VBCSS staff member, Tiffany Sharp, was nominated for the Dean's Excellence in Research Award for her role as Clinical Research Coordinator. Her nomination states in part, "For each project, Ms. Sharp manages regulatory compliance activities, coordinates study activities among internal study investigators and data collection staff from multiple UVM departments, coordinates the participation of external collaborators at multiple partnering academic institutions across the United States, and serves as the lead project manager liaison for UVM within the national Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium... Her intimate familiarity with human subjects research compliance requirements, strong communication and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail are outstanding assets. While Ms. Sharp does not coauthor manuscripts in her role, her work has been essential to the success of OHPR investigators and the more than 100 associated manuscripts published within the past 5 years alone."
Sprague Study on False-Positive Mammogram Results Featured in HealthDay
September 3, 2024
HealthDay featured a study by UVM Cancer Center member Brian Sprague, Ph.D., professor of surgery, biochemistry, and radiology, et al. investigating the effect of false-positive mammogram results on women’s willingness to return for future screening.
The study, “Association Between False-Positive Results and Return to Screening Mammography in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium Cohort,” published recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that false-positive mammogram results are discouraging many women from returning for important follow-up screenings. Researchers say the additional imaging or biopsies performed after a suspicious finding often cause significant anxiety.
False-positive results are common, according to the study, and while most recalled patients do not have breast cancer, researchers say it’s important that they continue screening every one to two years. Read full story at HealthDay.
New BCSC Study Shows Supplemental Ultrasound Imaging Detects More Cancers in High-Risk Women with Dense Breasts
August 6, 2024
A new study lead by Brian Sprague, PhD and his team at the Vermont Breast Cancer Surveillance System (VBCSS), in collaboration with UVMMC clinicians Hannah Perry, MD and Sally Herschorn, MD in radiology and Donald Weaver, MD in pathology, as well as our national partners at the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) shows that patients who have dense breasts and have additional risk factors can benefit from supplemental breast ultrasound screening. The results were published in Radiology earlier this month. The study used breast cancer risk prediction models recently developed by the BCSC to identify women at high risk of stage II or later stage breast cancer, despite undergoing screening mammography. The study found a wide variation in ultrasound screening outcomes according to risk level, including high supplemental cancer detection rates with a moderate positive predictive value of biopsy for women considered to be high risk and have dense breasts. In contrast, women with dense breasts and low to average risk factors showed a modest supplemental cancer detection rate and a low positive predictive value of biopsy when undergoing supplemental ultrasound screening. The full publication is available here, with an accompanying BCSC blog post here, and media coverage by AuntMinnie here.
VBCSS Data Informs New USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations
April 30, 2024
The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) has finalized its latest round of recommendations; suggesting that women begin biennial breast cancer screening at age 40 and continue screening through age 74. These recommendations are supported in part by VBCSS research in collaboration with Cancer Intervention Surveillance Modeling Network Breast Working Group (CISNET BWG) and the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC). The USPSTF used six different CISNET models that used VBCSS and BCSC data as key inputs on the performance of mammography screening. The results showed that biennial screening with Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) averted a median of 8.2 breast cancer deaths per 1000 women screened versus no screening. They associated biennial DBT screening in women aged 40 to 74, with a 30% breast cancer mortality reduction. Click here to read the USPSTF official recommendations. VBCSS director Brian Sprague contributed to the CISNET collaborative modeling decision analysis for the USPSTF. VBCSS and BCSC research was highlighted in the breast cancer screening evidence review commissioned by the USPSTF.
Population Attributable Risk of Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer by Race and Ethnicity
December 12, 2023
In a new Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) study published in JAMA Oncology, researchers calculated the population attributable risk proportions (PARPs) for advanced breast cancer by race/ethnicity. Using the large BCSC cohort, the study evaluated 904,615 women aged 40 to 74 (with a median age of 57 years) undergoing 3,331,740 annual or biennial screening mammograms. The study found that regular screening is not always sufficient to prevent an advanced breast cancer diagnosis.
BCSC Extends Invasive Breast Cancer Model
November 30, 2023
The Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) has extended its version 2 invasive breast cancer risk model to include body mass index (BMI), second-degree family history of breast cancer, and age at first live birth. The new version 3 model estimates a woman’s five- and ten-year risk of developing invasive breast cancer based on her age, race and ethnicity, first- and second-degree family history, breast density, history of benign breast biopsy, BMI, and age at first live birth.
Supplemental Magnetic Resonance Imaging Plus Mammography Compared to Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Mammography by Extent of Breast Density
November 7, 2023
In a new Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers evaluated whether screening breast MRI plus mammography improves screening outcomes compared to MRI or mammography alone for women with dense versus nondense breasts. Using the large BCSC cohort, the study evaluated 52 237 women aged 40-79 years who underwent 2611 screening MRIs alone and 6518 supplemental MRI plus mammography.
HealthDay Reports on Sprague Study of Supplemental Screening After Mammography
June 13, 2023
According to a study by Green and Gold Professor in Surgical Research Brian Sprague, Ph.D., professor of surgery and biochemistry, and colleagues, many women at high risk of screening mammography failure do not undergo supplemental screening after mammography, HealthDay News reported.
Breast Density Notification Laws Should Consider Body Mass index
June 8, 2023
In a new Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) study published in Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers evaluated whether differences in body mass index (BMI) account for differences in the prevalence of dense breasts by race and ethnicity. Using the large BCSC cohort, the study evaluated more than 2.6 million breast density measurements from 866,000 women aged 40 to 74 years and without a personal history of breast cancer performed between January 2005 and April 2021 at 140 radiology facilities around the country. The study found that clinically important differences in the prevalence of dense breasts across racial and ethnic groups that remained after adjusting for age, menopausal status, and BMI.
Across Multiple Screening Rounds, Digital Breast Tomosynthesis has Lower Recall Rates and Detects more Cancers than Digital Mammography
May 31, 2023
Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) has been widely adopted for breast cancer screening, comprising 46% of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration–accredited mammography units as of October 2022. DBT dissemination has been supported by studies reporting a higher cancer detection rate and lower recall rate compared with digital mammography (DM) screening examinations, but most DBT examinations included in these studies have been the woman’s first DBT examination. A new study from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium examined the performance of DBT vs. DM screening on successive screening rounds, using data on 523,485 DBT and 1,008,123 DM screening examinations from 58 breast imaging facilities at five regional breast imaging registries.
Sprague is Optimistic about New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines, says WCAX-TV
May 10, 2023
A federal health task force now recommends that all women with an average risk of breast cancer start screening every other year beginning at age 40 — rather than at age 50, as was recommended in the previous update in 2016, WCAX-TV reported. Brian Sprague, Ph.D., professor of surgery and biochemistry, hopes this will reverse the decline in breast cancer screening across all age groups — including those who were supposed to continue getting mammograms — that UVM Cancer Center research has shown for the past several years.
US Radiologists in Community Practice Demonstrate Better Performance Interpreting Digital Breast Tomosynthesis than Digital Mammography Screening Exams
April 17, 2023
After gaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2011, digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) was rapidly adopted in the U.S. and is now the most popular breast cancer screening exam. In a study published in Radiology, the BCSC aimed to establish new screening performance benchmarks for DBT and evaluate performance trends over time in U.S. community practices.
UVM Cancer Center Members Identify a Unique Population of Cells in Breast Cancer Patients
April 7, 2023
An interdisciplinary collaboration between UVM Cancer Center members including Jonathan Gordon, Ph.D., Mark Evans, Ph.D., Prachi Ghule, Ph.D., Kyra Lee, Pamela Vacek, Ph.D., Brian Sprague, Ph.D., Donald Weaver, M.D., Gary Stein, Ph.D., and Janet Stein, Ph.D., led to the discovery of a distinct population of mesenchymal stromal/stem-like cells (MSCs) in invasive breast cancer tumors.
NBC5 Reports on Study by Nowak, Sprague, et al. Showing Drop in Breast Cancer Screenings
March 30, 2023
Researchers at the UVM Cancer Center released the findings of a study showing fewer women being screened for breast cancer, NBC5 reported. The study shows that Vermont had the second-largest drop in the entire country in screenings for women over the age of 40 between 2009 and 2018. “In 2009, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force issued new guidelines around breast cancer screening,” said Sarah Nowak, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the Larner College of Medicine, who was part of the research team. Before the 2009 guideline change, all women over the age of 40 were advised to have screenings for breast cancer at least once every one to two years; however, the 2009 recommendations said only women between ages 50-74 needed to be screened that frequently. “We would expect to see that the guidelines would lead to decreased screening for women in their 40s and women 75 and older, but what we found was that it’s also leading to decreased screening for women ages 50 to 74,” Dr. Nowak said. The research team, which also included Brian Sprague, Ph.D., professor of surgery, biochemistry, and radiology, found that women in Vermont, in all age groups, were being screened at almost two times less than the national average. Missing recommended mammograms could mean a later breast cancer diagnosis and less positive outcomes, Nowak warned. The study was recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
BCSC Model Predicts Risk of Screen-Detected DCIS According to Clinical Risk Factors and Mammography Screening Interval
March 7, 2023
Detection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) by mammography screening is a controversial outcome with potential benefits and harms. Because DCIS can be a precursor to invasive breast cancer, the detection and treatment of DCIS may reduce the risk of subsequent invasive disease; yet there is also concern that a substantial fraction of screen-detected DCIS may never have led to invasive cancer if left untreated (“overdiagnosis”). A new study from the BCSC sought to develop a 6-year risk prediction model for screen-detected DCIS according to mammography screening interval and women’s risk factors.