iPrevent – CHECK YOUR FUTURE BREAST CANCER RISK

What is iPrevent?

Every woman has an individual breast cancer risk dependent on many things they both can and cannot control such as family history, menopausal status, height, weight, and lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. By knowing more about your risk and understanding how to change some modifiable factors, you can take appropriate actions to prevent or screen for breast cancer.

iPrevent is an online tool that has been built to help women understand their breast cancer risk and act on it. It has been created by Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) researchers, using data collected from international clinical trials. iPrevent has been created with the intention of facilitating prevention and screening discussions between women and their doctors. 

iPrevent should only be used by women without a personal risk of breast cancer, meaning women who have never received a breast cancer diagnosis.

How does iPrevent calculate my future risk of breast cancer?

iPrevent asks women, or their doctor, to enter family and personal history, lifestyle, and reproductive risk factor information. Using that information, it then provides ten year and residual life-time risk estimates. There are options to view this information as a pictogram or graph. It then provides tailored estimates of the absolute risk reductions for each breast cancer prevention strategy, personalised lifestyle change suggestions and tailored advice on breast cancer screening. There is an option to print out a summary for the woman to take to a consultation with her doctor, and/or so the doctor can incorporate it into the woman’s medical record.

What research is behind this risk calculator?

iPrevent is highly evidence based. It uses the well-validated IBIS and BOADICEA algorithms to estimate each woman’s person risk of breast cancer. An international prospective validation study, conducted using data on more than 16,000 women, has confirmed the accuracy of the risk estimates provided. It uses Cancer Australia guidelines to determine which risk management options women are advised about, based on their risk level. An Australian pilot study of women and doctors has also demonstrated that iPrevent has high usability and acceptability, and suggested that it improves knowledge without increasing anxiety.

How can doctors use iPrevent?

Focus groups conducted with doctors suggest that breast surgeons will find iPrevent particularly useful, not only for managing women at high or moderate risk of breast cancer, but also for reassuring those at average risk. Medical oncologists less frequently see women without a history of cancer, but questions about the risk of healthy family members, such as daughters and sisters often arise during medical oncology consultations. Medical oncologists may suggest that female family members consider using iPrevent and discuss the results with their GP. iPrevent also has an “Information for Clinicians” page that provides background information on the tool, references and tips that can help clinicians with the logistics of prescribing risk-reducing medication.

How is Breast Cancer Trials involved with iPrevent?

BCT provided the initial funding to commence the development of iPrevent, through the generosity of supporters, with further funding provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council. iPrevent was developed by a team of expert BCT doctors, researchers and consumers, including medical oncologist and breast cancer prevention expert, Professor Kelly-Anne Phillips who led the development of iPrevent, breast surgeon and BCT Director of Research Professor Bruce Mann, psychologist Professor Phyllis Butow, medical oncologist Associate Professor Ian Collins and Chair of the BCT Consumer Advisory Panel Ms Leslie Gilham.

Where can I find out more about iPrevent?

More information about the iPrevent tool at www.petermac.org/iPrevent or you can refer to the following publications on iPrevent.

Professor Kelly-Anne Phillips (pictured below) led the development of the iPrevent tool.