Breast cancer risk tools to guide management of high-risk benign breast lesions
Official title: Clinical breast cancer risk prediction models for women with a high-risk benign breast diagnosis
Funded at University of Vermont & St Agric College · NIH-11396341 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to improve how doctors decide which women with high-risk benign breast lesions can safely avoid surgery while keeping cancer risk low.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Vermont & St Agric College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Burlington, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $677,807 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA282725-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396341 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women who have had core needle breast biopsies and are classified as high-risk benign breast lesions or related biopsy categories.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without a history of breast biopsy or without high-risk lesion findings are unlikely to benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project analyzes data from women who have had breast biopsies showing benign or high-risk changes to identify which factors predict cancer if the lesion is not surgically removed. Using large breast cancer surveillance data, researchers will develop and validate risk models that can guide clinical decisions about whether to excise or monitor high-risk lesions. The goal is to reduce unnecessary surgeries without increasing the chance of missed cancers, and to refine long-term care plans for these patients. The work focuses on translating findings into clearer guidelines for doctors and patients facing biopsy results.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could lead to safer, more personalized decisions about biopsy management, potentially reducing unnecessary surgeries and associated harms for women with high-risk breast lesions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous single-institution studies showed promising predictors, but this project seeks definitive evidence through broader data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Vermont & St Agric College
Burlington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sprague, Brian L — University of Vermont & St Agric College
- Study coordinator: Sprague, Brian L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving Breast Cancer Guideline Adherence in Nigeria
Aimed at helping doctors in Nigeria follow international guideline-based breast cancer care to improve outcomes for women with breast cancer.
-
Genomic study to understand how genetics and epigenetics shape triple-negative breast cancer in African ancestry
This study looks at how inherited genes and gene activity affect triple-negative breast cancer in people of African ancestry to better understand why outcomes can be worse.
-
Translational breast cancer research to improve treatment options
A comprehensive program at Baylor College of Medicine is focusing on breast cancer; researchers will advance targeted therapies and biomarkers to help patients with aggressive or hard-to-treat forms.
-
Cancer Pain Management for Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors with Depressive Symptoms
A technology-based program helps Asian American breast cancer survivors with depressive symptoms manage chronic pain more effectively from home using a web app and mobile tools.
-
Co-Targeting IL-6 and CDK4/6 to Prevent TNBC in Women Veterans
A study aims to block two cancer-promoting pathways (IL-6 and CDK4/6) to prevent or reduce progression of triple-negative breast cancer in women veterans.
-
Gut bacteria and metabolites linked to breast density and cancer risk
A small, patient-friendly study will explore whether gut bacteria and their byproducts are connected to high breast density, which can raise cancer risk and make screening less accurate.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.