South Australian women taking part in BreastScreen SA appointments are being invited to join a new clinical trial that will test whether artificial intelligence can help improve the early detection of breast cancer while keeping specialist radiologists at the centre of the screening process.
The BRAIx trial, which began on 6 July, will run for an estimated six to nine months and will compare the current double reading approach with a model where specially developed AI software works alongside a specialist radiologist to review mammogram images.
Participation is voluntary, with eligible women receiving information about the study and a consent form before their appointment. Participants who agree to take part will be randomly allocated to one of two groups. One group will follow the existing process, where two specialist radiologists independently examine screening images. The second group will have their images reviewed by one specialist radiologist and the AI system. In both cases, a human specialist radiologist will make the final decision on the screening outcome.
The AI software used in the trial was developed in Australia and has been trained using millions of mammogram images to identify areas that may indicate breast cancer. Similar systems have already been introduced in parts of Australia and overseas, where research has suggested they can help improve cancer detection rates and support radiologists in screening programs.
The trial will assess whether the technology can be safely and effectively incorporated into South Australia’s breast screening service without changing the level of care provided to patients. Researchers will compare the outcomes from both groups before evaluating the results at the end of the study.
Health Minister Chris Picton said artificial intelligence was creating new opportunities across healthcare and could assist clinicians by improving efficiency and accuracy while maintaining clinical oversight.
Education Minister Blair Boyer said early detection remained one of the most effective ways to improve breast cancer outcomes and described the trial as part of the state’s effort to explore practical uses of AI in healthcare. He stressed that experienced specialist radiologists would continue to make the final assessment of every screening result.
BreastScreen SA Clinical Director Associate Professor Michelle Reintals said the study would examine how AI could be applied in routine breast screening while maintaining the same standard of care for participants. She said cancers found through screening are often smaller and easier to treat, giving women better health outcomes.
Independent studies published in recent years have found that AI-assisted breast screening has the potential to improve cancer detection while reducing radiologists’ workload. Researchers have also cautioned that further large-scale clinical trials are needed to understand how the technology performs across different populations and healthcare settings before widespread adoption.
The BRAIx trial brings together BreastScreen SA, BreastScreen Victoria, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, the University of Melbourne, Monash University and Adelaide University. It is funded through the Medical Research Future Fund and is already underway in Victoria. Oversight of the research will be provided by the Royal Melbourne Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee.
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