One in five breast cancers detected by screening is non-invasive. The term "non-invasive" means that the cancer has not developed the ability to spread either within the breast tissue or to the rest of the body. The main type of non-invasive breast cancer, Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), is found when still within the milk duct. It is not certain whether all of these will ever spread to the surrounding breast tissue and therefore, there is uncertainty about the treatment required.
The NHS Breast Screening Programme is funding The Sloane Project, to improve the quality of care for women with screen-detected DCIS and other non-invasive breast cancers and atypical hyperplasias. It is a prospective audit, which aims to obtain good quality data from all UK breast screening units, and so produce the largest database in the world. By adding to our knowledge of the diagnosis, treatment and clinical outcomes of these diseases, the Sloane Project will provide an evidence base to inform the management of women with DCIS. Data collection for the project took place from April 2003 to March 2008.
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