ArticleBritish journal of cancer2026
The breast cancer risk assessment pathway in England: a systems analysis of current challenges and ways to improve.
Article in British journal of cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- A national survey of UK Family History services.British journal of cancer · 2026Article
- EBCC-15 manifesto: Removing age-related barriers to improve equity in breast cancer care.Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2026Review
- Risk-based breast cancer screening.British journal of cancer · 2026Article
- Acceptability of breast cancer risk assessment for women aged 30-49: Views of women from six under-served groups.PloS one · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn England, NICE guidance recommends enhanced screening and prevention for women at increased breast cancer risk. This study aimed to map current risk assessment pathways for women under 50, explore existing challenges and opportunities for improvement, and assess the healthcare system's capacity and readiness for potential systemic change.
methodsInformed by the systems engineering framework and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we conducted semi-structured interviews and a post-interview questionnaire. Participants were 29 healthcare professionals and policy stakeholders across England with relevant expertise spanning all stages of the breast cancer risk assessment and management pathway. They were purposefully recruited through the research team's networks and by using the snowball method. Data were analysed by using thematic analysis. Questionnaire data were analysed descriptively.
resultsParticipants discussed the challenges of the current pathway and consistently described it as fragmented, with access often influenced more by ethnicity, geographic and socioeconomic factors than by clinical need. Participants identified six key areas where reform is needed, including a standardised national service, developing digital and flexible tools, a shift towards being proactive, division of responsibilities, a need for funding and strengthening skills in risk assessment.
conclusionsThis study demonstrates challenges, variation and missed opportunities in care within the current pathway for breast cancer risk assessment and management in women under 50. The readiness of the system to change is clear, and recommendations are made to support systemic reform, which could contribute to the development of a more standardised, proactive and equitable breast cancer risk assessment and management pathway.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.