The ROSA project: options for risk-based breast cancer screening in Australia | Dr Carolyn Nickson

The Roadmap for Optimising Screening in Australia (ROSA) project is actively exploring options for more risk-based approaches to the early detection of breast cancer in asymptomatic women.

16 JUNE 2021

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR CAROLYN NICKSON
Epidemiologist, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
Stream lead, Breast Cancer Policy and Evaluation, The Daffodil Centre

There is increasing interest in more risk-based, personalised approaches to population breast cancer screening in Australia, driven by a growing body of evidence on breast cancer risk assessment and risk-based management, new imaging technologies, and community awareness about breast cancer risk factors such as breast density.

The Roadmap for Optimising Screening in Australia (ROSA) project is led by Cancer Council Australia and funded by the Australian Government. The project is actively exploring options for more risk-based approaches to the early detection of breast cancer in asymptomatic women. This includes the BreastScreen Australia program as well as risk-based surveillance services outside the screening program.

The ROSA project is working to an endorsed ‘roadmap’, combining evidence reviews, epidemiological analysis, implementation science, modelled evaluations and stakeholder generated insights. This seminar provides an overview of the project, and its roadmap to achieve evidence-based consensus on the best options for Australian women.

Associate Professor Carolyn Nickson is an epidemiologist specialising in the evaluation of breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment, working at the interface between research and policy evaluation. She heads the Breast Cancer Policy and Evaluation stream at The Daffodil Centre (a new joint venture between Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney), and the ABACUS research group within the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne.  Her team uses epidemiology, population modeling, implementation science and qualitative research methods to help address key policy questions aimed at reducing the burden of breast cancer.