Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

New deep learning model shows potential in predicting breast cancer risk

A team of researchers uses automatic feature extraction from training data and transfer learning, making it well-suited for breast density estimations

New deep learning model shows potential in predicting breast cancer risk

A team of researchers from the University of Manchester has developed a new deep-learning model for estimating breast density, which may aid in predicting the risk of breast cancer.

Their approach uses automatic feature extraction from training data and transfer learning, making it well-suited for breast density estimations.


Breast density refers to the proportion of fibro-glandular tissue within the breast, and is a key factor in assessing breast cancer risk.

The team published their findings in the Journal of Medical Imaging, detailing the use of two deep learning models initially trained on a non-medical imaging dataset, which were then trained on their own medical imaging data.

Limited datasets make it difficult to train and build deep learning models from scratch. To tackle this, experts, including radiologists, advanced practitioner radiographers, and breast physicians, used visual analogue scales to assign density values to 160,000 mammogram images from 39,357 women.

The researchers developed a procedure that could estimate a density score by feeding a mammogram image as an input, using pre-processing techniques to make the training process less computationally intensive. They then used an ensemble approach to combine the scores and produce a final density estimate.

The researchers developed highly accurate models that estimate breast density and its correlation with cancer risk while conserving computation time and memory.

"The model's performance is comparable to those of human experts within the bounds of uncertainty," said lead researcher Susan M. Astley. "Moreover, it can be trained much faster and on small datasets or subsets of the large dataset."

The researchers emphasised that their framework is not only applicable for estimating breast density and cancer risk, but can also be used as a basis for training other medical imaging models.

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women across the globe, and while there are different ways to estimate breast density, studies have shown that subjective assessments by radiologists using visual analogue scales are the most precise method available.

(With inputs from PTI)

More For You

Queen Camilla

She is wearing a turquoise dress with a rainforest-themed print featuring monkeys, toucans, and lemurs

Getty Images

New photo released to celebrate Queen Camilla’s 78th birthday

Highlights

  • Queen Camilla turns 78 and is expected to celebrate privately at home
  • Official birthday portrait taken at Raymill House, Wiltshire
  • Outfit features rainforest-themed print; jewellery includes iconic diamond ring
  • Recent royal duties include state visits, Trooping the Colour, and military engagements
  • Appointed Vice Admiral of the UK on the same day

Queen Camilla marks birthday with relaxed countryside portrait

A new photograph of Queen Camilla has been released by Buckingham Palace to mark her 78th birthday. The image, captured by royal photographer Chris Jackson, shows the Queen leaning on a metal gate in a field at her private home, Raymill House, in Wiltshire.

She is wearing a turquoise dress with a rainforest-themed print featuring monkeys, toucans, and lemurs. Her accessories include gold drop earrings, her wedding band, a five-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring, and a distinctive gold ring composed of circular plaques.

Keep ReadingShow less
Babies born free of mitochondrial disease

8 babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from 3 people

iStock

Babies born free of mitochondrial disease using DNA from 3 people

Highlights

  • Eight babies were born in the UK using DNA from three individuals to prevent mitochondrial disease
  • The technique combines egg and sperm from parents with mitochondria from a donor egg
  • Legal in the UK since 2015; results show children are meeting expected milestones
  • One in 5,000 babies are born with mitochondrial disease; no known cure exists
  • Newcastle scientists pioneered the technique, now used under NHS specialist service

UK births mark milestone in preventing inherited mitochondrial disease

Eight babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from three people in a pioneering effort to prevent incurable mitochondrial disease, doctors have confirmed. The technique, developed by researchers in Newcastle, represents a significant breakthrough in reproductive medicine and genetic science.

These births are the first proven cases in the UK of healthy children being born free of devastating mitochondrial disorders thanks to this technique, which has been legal in the country since 2015.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sainsbury

The rollout is part of Sainsbury’s broader Nectar Prices strategy

iStock

Sainsbury’s brings personalised Nectar discounts to all checkouts

Highlights

  • Sainsbury’s will roll out Your Nectar Prices to physical checkouts nationwide from 25 July.
  • Scheme gives loyalty members access to personalised discounts based on shopping habits.
  • Over 17 billion tailored offers generated since launch; £60m saved by customers in the last year.
  • More than one million shoppers currently use the feature weekly.
  • Offers now available in-store, online, via app, and soon, at checkout.

Sainsbury's brings personalised loyalty savings directly to the tills

Sainsbury’s will extend its Your Nectar Prices programme to checkouts across the UK starting Friday, 25 July. The move allows Nectar members to receive personalised discounts directly at the tills for the first time, as part of the retailer’s continued investment in digital loyalty.

The supermarket has already issued over 17 billion tailored offers since launching the scheme, with more than one million customers using it weekly. According to the retailer, these offers have helped shoppers collectively save £60 million over the past year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kew Gardens begins ambitious revamp of Palm House

The Palm House, along with the neighbouring Waterlily House, will be transformed

Getty Images

Kew Gardens begins ambitious revamp of Palm House to cut carbon emissions

Highlights

  • Kew Gardens will shut its iconic Palm House for up to four years
  • Grade I-listed building to undergo major restoration as part of net-zero strategy
  • Gas boilers to be replaced with modern heat pumps
  • Rare plant collection, including 45 endangered species, to be relocated during works
  • Palm House and Waterlily House will become the first net-zero glasshouses globally

Historic Palm House to undergo major upgrade

Kew Gardens will temporarily close one of its most recognisable landmarks, the Grade I-listed Palm House, for up to four years as part of an ambitious net-zero redevelopment plan. Opened in 1848, the glasshouse is home to a globally significant collection of tropical plants and houses the world’s oldest potted plant—an Encephalartos altensteinii dating back to 1775.

The Palm House, along with the neighbouring Waterlily House, will be transformed into the world’s first net-zero glasshouses through a large-scale renovation focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anne-Marie motherhood

Singer Anne-Marie gave an open and emotional interview on BBC Radio 2

Getty Images

‘Everything has changed’: Anne-Marie on motherhood, anxiety and returning to music

Highlights

  • Anne-Marie discussed the challenges of motherhood and returning to work in music
  • Revealed struggles with postnatal anxiety and depression after birth of daughter Seven
  • Praised therapy as a crucial support tool and advised others to seek help
  • Shared insights into life with two young children and how routines have changed her
  • Confirmed she will perform at the Women’s Rugby World Cup opening ceremony on 22 August

Anne-Marie opens up about motherhood and mental health

Singer Anne-Marie gave an open and emotional interview on BBC Radio 2 this morning (16 July), speaking to Scott Mills about the mental and physical challenges she has faced after becoming a mother of two. The artist, known for hits including 2002 and Friends, reflected on the impact of motherhood on her mental health and creative life.

Returning to music while raising a family

Anne-Marie revealed that adjusting to life with two children while returning to the music industry has been “really difficult”. She is mother to daughter Seven, aged one, and a baby son who is just two months old.

Keep ReadingShow less