More women could be set to benefit from a breast cancer risk predictor, after the health tech company Islacare integrated the CanRisk programme into its visual care record.
CanRisk, a web-based programme developed by the Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge and funded by Cancer Research UK as part of a wider research project, is an assessment tool that uses information about genetics, epidemiology, lifestyle and hormone profile to estimate a woman’s future risk of breast cancer.
The predictive calculation requires a broad range of information from patients, which could be difficult to obtain at a busy hospital clinic, but Isla says that its user-friendly platform allows the patient to provide the relevant information in a secure way, prior to a review in clinic.
Following the assessment’s integration with Isla’s visual care record – which provides clinicians with a platform that can provide key information to use assist with the clinical context for decision making – more women in the East of England can now expect to benefit from the CanRisk programme.
Mr Alexander Leeper, Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at James Paget University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the lead clinician for the research partnership, said: “CanRisk is acknowledged as a gold standard in calculating a patient’s future risk of breast cancer. We’re using the Isla technology to make CanRisk more accessible to clinicians and to improve how we identify and grade patients’ future risk.
“By collecting information from patients before we see them physically, we hope to improve efficiency in our busy clinics. And patients will greatly benefit from having the best possible understanding of their future risk of developing breast cancer and what they can do to reduce their risk.
“Our vision is to use the benefits of CanRisk for all patients who attend breast clinic concerned about their breast health.”
CanRisk uses risk prediction modelling to help clinicians in primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare to make judgements but also to provide advice around risk reduction through measures such as personalised screening, preventive medicine, lifestyle modification and environment.
Pete Hansell, Co-Founder of Isla – which has developed a visual component of the medical record – said: “At Isla, we’re passionate most of all about getting great technology to clinicians and integrating it seamlessly into their clinical practices so they can improve patients’ experiences and outcomes.
“We’re really excited to be working in partnership with leading clinicians, The University of Cambridge research community and the broader innovation teams in the East of England to integrate the CanRisk assessment tool into the Isla visual record.
“This will allow patients to submit information seamlessly and conveniently. Clinicians will then get an immediate response from the sophisticated modelling provided by CanRisk, which will support them in delivering high-quality care and advice to their patients in the clinic. We’re pleased to be making it easier for clinicians to use this assessment on a larger scale.”
HTN also recently spoke to Hansell about Isla’s platform, use cases, and the best things about running a health tech start-up, which you can find in his interview, here.
