A model developed through a collaboration between Ankara Etlik City Hospital, METU, the University of Toronto and Qatar University, providing personalized risk assessment in breast cancer screening, has been featured in the national press.
The statistical component of the project was carried out by a team led by Prof. Zeynep Kalaylıoğlu of our department, together with Furkan Berk Danışman, a graduate of our undergraduate programme and currently a doctoral student in the Department of Statistics at the University of Toronto, and Assoc. Prof. Zarina Oflaz of the Department of Statistics at Qatar University. The latent progression model they developed separates the masking of small tumours by breast density from density’s role as a direct risk factor for breast cancer, yielding clearer results. On this basis, a personalized follow-up routine can be determined for women at risk of breast cancer.
The study followed 616 women over ten years, taking into account factors such as age, menopausal status, family history, number of births, breastfeeding and body mass index.