Authors:
M. Y. Kataoka1, P. L. Moyle1, R. M. L. Warren1, K. Wheeler2, I. Warsi1, M. G. Wallis1; 1Cambridge/UK, 2Southampton/UK
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2010/C-3265
Purpose
Prospective study of Outcomes in Sporadic versus Hereditary breast cancer (POSH study) is a nation-wide project recruiting women aged less than 40 years or carrying germline mutations of BRCA 1 or 2 (1). The primary outcome of POSH Radiology review is radiological features of breast cancer in women in this population which may be predictive of genetic, pathological factors or outcomes, and which may impact on patient care or screening. The secondary outcome includes mammographic features of the background breast such as mammographic density. The imaging data can be combined with pathology / genetic data. These analyses will give us clue for breast cancer aetiology and adequate imaging assessments for this young population.
Images of approximately 2500 women from more than 100 hospitals are collected for this review. To overcome the logistical challenge of assembling images from many hospitals and involving many radiologists in the review, a web-based image reviewing system (called “ImageBox”) has been developed. Authorized readers can access anonymised images from anywhere via internet. This may be a promising solution to conduct image-related multicentre research project and may be convenient for readers who are often busy with clinical work. The purpose of this pilot study is the diagnostic validation of “ImageBox” comparing the reading results of the web-based reviewing system with those of an analogue film-based review, focusing on key mammographic features.