Distinguishing harmless from high-risk breast calcifications
Dynamic imaging and tissue biomarker models to delineate indolent from aggressive breast calcifications
['FUNDING_R01'] · DUKE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11179197
This project uses past mammograms and tissue tests to help doctors tell which breast calcifications are likely benign and which may need treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | DUKE UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (DURHAM, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11179197 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze serial mammograms to measure how calcifications change over time and extract new dynamic imaging features. They will combine those imaging trajectories with molecular and tissue biomarkers from biopsy samples to build prediction models. The team aims to link imaging behavior to underlying biology so doctors can better separate indolent calcifications from those that signal aggressive disease. Work will use screening program images and pathology specimens collected at Duke University.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women who have mammographically detected breast calcifications, especially those with prior mammograms or available biopsy tissue for biomarker testing, would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People without breast calcifications, those with unrelated advanced breast cancer, or individuals unwilling to share prior imaging or tissue samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce unnecessary biopsies, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment by identifying which calcifications need follow-up or intervention.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior studies have linked imaging features and biomarkers to cancer risk, but combining serial imaging dynamics with tissue biomarker models is relatively novel and not yet widely validated.
Where this research is happening
DURHAM, UNITED STATES
- DUKE UNIVERSITY — DURHAM, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GRIMM, LARS J — DUKE UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: GRIMM, LARS J
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 below.
Conditions: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Detection, Breast cancer screening