Join an advisory panel for a research study looking at reducing overtreatment for DCIS by comparing the risk of development against the emotional and financial impact of treatment.
What’s the title of the study?
Improving the accuracy of Breast Screening Models: A Study into the Economic and Human Costs of DCIS Overdiagnosis in the UK.
What’s the project about?
Breast screening is a vital, and life-saving, tool which allows doctors to find cancer early. Screening is also able to diagnose Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), which is often asymptomatic.
Although DCIS itself isn’t invasive, it can develop into invasive breast cancer. Therefore, the standard treatment for DCIS is to remove the abnormal cells, sometimes alongside radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy.
However, because not all cases of DCIS will develop into invasive breast cancer, there is increasing discussion about whether current treatment for DCIS is always appropriate, or whether some women are receiving more treatment than they need (overtreatment). This could impact their quality of life, as well as costing the NHS.
In this PhD project, the researcher wants to improve current tools used by the NHS to make decisions about breast screening and treatment by including DCis and the impact of treatment or overtreatment in the model. They plan to compare the risk of DCIS developing into invasive cancer against the emotional and financial cost of treatment to inform this.
They hope that by including DCIS in tools for decision making around breast screening and treatment, they’ll help the implementation of a screening programme that is human-centred and supports the wellbeing of people with DCIS.
Who’s organising it?
Name of project lead: Sainan Chang
Job title: Research Associate
Organisation: The University of Manchester
Email address: sainan.chang@manchester.ac.uk
Who can take part?
You can take part if you’ve had a personal diagnosis of DCIS. Or if you haven’t had a personal diagnosis but are eligible for the NHS screening programme.
Why do you want me to be involved?
By getting involved in the project, you’ll help the researcher better understand the real-life experiences of people diagnosed with DCIS. This will ensure that the computer model that they build is realistic and leads to positive outcomes for people with DCIS.
What will you ask me to do?
The researcher would like you to join an advisory panel, made up of 3 to 5 people, to guide the research. As part of the panel, you’ll be asked to:
- Review the lay summary of the research to ensure that it’s accessible and relevant
- Share your experience of being diagnosed with DCIS, in particular any challenges or anxieties
- Help the researcher understand the priorities of people diagnosed with DCIS, especially in terms of treatment
- Review the outcomes of the project to ensure they reflect people’s experiences.
How do I get involved?
If you’re interested in getting involved or have any questions, please contact Sainan Chang at sainan.chang@manchester.ac.uk.
When’s the deadline?
31 March 2026
Get involved
Join the advisory panel and help ensure that the research reflects the experiences and priorities of people with DCIS, to improve future screening and treatment recommendations.