Breast Cancer Screening Over 74 Years Old
This working group will explore under which conditions breast cancer screening could be proposed to women >74 years old. It aims to review the current guidelines regarding upper age limit and analyse potential benefits and harms on this age group population.
Breast Density and Screening
The goal is to update the ICSN 2010 survey by including additional information on the various methods used by different screening programs to record breast density; and, on the policies on disclosing breast density data to women and the communication strategies employed by different programs. The working group will also conduct a retrospective analysis of breast density changes among screened women and their association with breast cancer.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Working Group
Opportunistic and organized screening for colorectal cancer is available in many countries, which provides an opportunity to exchange knowledge to improve its delivery and further reduce morbidity and mortality of this disease worldwide. To address the challenge of reliably comparing the diverse colorectal cancer screening programs while building adequate models that can predict their longterm outcomes, this working group is investigating which methodologies are most appropriate and proposing a consortium that could open new channels for data sharing.
Communication Issues in Cancer Screening
This working group aims to enhance, improve and promote evidence-based communication along the cancer screening process, including strategies to enhance informed decision making. It includes several topics relevant to communication, such as improving uptake rates, best practices for informing screening results, addressing language, socioeconomic and cultural barriers, risk communication, and the role of artificial intelligence and other technologies.
Early-stage Researcher Interest Group
The purpose is to connect and create a supportive network for early-stage researchers working in the field of cancer screening. The group will work to understand and respond to the needs of early-stage researchers, provide networking opportunities, and share experiences on the challenges faced while working in the field and the learnings to take forward. Open to all early-stage researchers including those undertaking a PhD or working for 3-5 years or less post PhD or Masters degree graduation, and striving for equality, diversity and inclusion.
HPV-based Screening Implementation in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMIC)
The aims of this group include to assess barriers and facilitators to implementing laboratory quality assurance and screening registries for HPV-based screening in LMICs, and pilot implementation strategies and adaptations in select settings; and, to evaluate pathways of care after primary HPV testing through examining concerns, challenges, and options for triaging HPV-positive women. If you would like more information, please contact:
Increasing Uptake in Mammography Screening Among Immigrants
The aim is to assess studies performed to enhance or increase attendance to mammography screening among immigrants. Then, the working group will carry out an international survey exploring this topic.
International Heterogeneity of First-level Breast Screening Protocols
The objective of the working group is to assess the influence of national and international screening guidelines, including the complementary area occupied by non-standard practices; the prevalence and criteria of personalised screening practices; and international differences, including their management and quality.
Lung Cancer Screening
This working group aims to understand the current state of lung cancer screening across ICSN member countries through surveys and share best practices for developing and implementing high-quality, equitable programs and track implementation outcomes over time. The goal is to speed the implementation of high-quality programs in countries with the capacity to implement them; and to help develop emerging programs in countries where the infrastructure may not currently support such efforts.
New Technologies Working Group (NTWG)
The aim is to assess the evolution of current and future scenarios of cancer screening with respect to the introduction of novel technologies for all preventable/curable cancer sites. It includes looking into the effect of new technologies on metrics, individual cancer risk, and interventions as drivers for updating and changing the approach and methods of screening, including their effects on screening organization, delivery and evaluation.
Overdiagnosis DCIS
This working group aims to improve estimates of overdiagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in breast cancer screening, explore main contributors and explain factors causing variation in overdiagnosis estimates, coming to a consensus on how to define and evaluate overdiagnosis of DCIS.
Optimal Recall Rate in Breast Cancer Screening
The aim is to identify recall rates in organized breast cancer screening programs in various countries and investigate if it is possible to make more firm recommendations about the optimal recall rate, taking into account the different background risks and health care systems.
Remote Interventions to Increase Uptake of Multiple Cancer Screening Tests
Explore studies that have used remote technologies to increase uptake of multiple screening tests and implement interventions that focus on more than one screening test using remote technology.
Screening in the COVID-19 Era Working Group
The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly reshaped health services worldwide with a surge in the demand for acute healthcare services and reconfiguration of inpatient services, suspension of screening programmes, and redeployment of healthcare resources. This working group aims to assess the immediate effects of the first wave of COVID-19 in cancer screening services worldwide, and how they were adapted due to the ongoing pandemic.