From underdiagnosed dense breast tissue to the risk of recurrence, breakthroughs -- from DeepLook Medical's imaging AI to the Cleveland Clinic's TNBC vaccine trial -- are transforming the fight against breast cancer.
Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent and emotionally fraught diagnoses in medicine. Cases of female breast cancer look set to to rise by 38% worldwide over the next 25 years, while deaths from the disease could increase by 68%, according to an analysis by international scientists. In the U.S. alone, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with the disease in her lifetime. Contrary to common perception, only about 10% of breast cancer cases are linked to family history. The remaining 90% are influenced by environmental exposures, lifestyle choices, and other non-hereditary factors, many of which intersect with structural inequalities in healthcare access.
One of the most persistent challenges in breast cancer detection is dense breast tissue, which can obscure tumors on mammograms and delay diagnosis. Dense breasts don't correlate with body or breast size -- they're a function of tissue composition, with more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fat. The CDC estimates that around 50% of women over 40 have dense breasts, but experts believe that number may be much higher.
"The true number is likely closer to 65-70% of all women," says Marissa Fayer, CEO of DeepLook Medical. "Most of our global data comes from women with access to mammograms -- but millions of women simply aren't screened."
Indeed, dense breast tissue is severely underreported. Millions of women globally -- especially in Africa, India, and rural Asia -- lack access to regular mammographic screening. Even in developed countries, many go undiagnosed due to gaps in insurance coverage and access to advanced imaging technology. Jewish, Black, and Asian women are disproportionately predisposed to dense breasts, adding complexity to early detection and equity in care.
While survival rates have improved over the past two decades, major gaps remain. But a new generation of tools is shifting the breast cancer paradigm -- from better detection to early intervention, and from recurrence management to long-term prevention.
One of the most promising advances in breast cancer AI detection comes from DeepLook Medical, a Phoenix-based health tech company tackling dense breast detection with DL Precise, an FDA-cleared visual enhancement tool.
Unlike traditional computer-aided detection systems that flag anomalies for secondary review, DL Precise enhances the mammogram image itself -- supporting radiologists on the first read. It integrates directly into existing 2D and 3D mammography systems and software, requiring no new equipment or imaging protocols.
And it's already in use. DL Precise is currently installed at around 300 hospitals, including Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, AdventHealth, Geisinger, and Penn Medicine.
The clinical impact is measurable: DL Precise has demonstrated a 12% reduction in recall rates, improving diagnostic accuracy while reducing unnecessary callbacks and emotional distress for patients.
"By enhancing clarity and streamlining interpretation, DL Precise empowers radiologists with greater accuracy in recognizing and distinguishing subtle findings while optimizing workflow," said Dr. Anjali Malik, a breast imaging radiologist at Washington Radiology Associates. "For patients, this translates to earlier diagnoses, more informed treatment decisions and ultimately, better outcomes. I believe DL Precise represents a pivotal advancement in medical imaging that will redefine the standard of precision in radiology."
DeepLook recently closed the first tranche of its Series A, backed by Xcellerant Ventures and OKG Capital, and is targeting a final close in summer 2025. The company has partnered with Barco, a global leader in medical imaging displays, and Blackford Analysis, owned by Bayer, to enable cloud-native deployment of DL Precise across large systems and OEM platforms.
"AVC is proud to invest in DeepLook Medical, a health tech company revolutionizing how physicians detect and visualize breast cancer in dense breast tissue," said Aaron Favreau of AZ Venture Capital. "With their disruptive AI and imaging technology, they are set to dramatically enhance the speed, accuracy and accessibility of medical imaging."
A key differentiator is DeepLook's SaaS-based distribution model. DL Precise is already embedded within hospital imaging systems via channel partners -- radiologists simply need to activate it. This model has enabled fast, seamless adoption at scale.
As Forbes previously reported, DeepLook is launching a three-phase awareness campaign:
In an industry where life-saving technologies often take years to scale, DeepLook Medical is moving faster -- and helping radiologists do the same.
Detection is improving -- but recurrence prevention remains a critical challenge, especially for women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive subtype that lacks the hormonal receptors targeted by most therapies.
That's why the Cleveland Clinic's TNBC vaccine trial, developed in partnership with Anixa Biosciences, is gaining national attention. Now in Phase 1 trials, the vaccine is being tested in women previously treated for TNBC who are currently cancer-free. It targets α-lactalbumin, a protein present in most TNBC tumors but not in healthy post-lactation breast tissue -- training the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells before they return.
While some headlines suggest the vaccine could lead to broader breast cancer prevention within a decade, researchers urge caution. For now, it's only available to women with prior TNBC, and widespread preventive use is likely 10 to 20 years away, pending trial results and regulatory approvals.
Cleveland Clinic researchers are also making progress on the molecular front. A recent study identified a new family of molecules linked to breast cancer growth and recurrence -- potential targets for future therapies and immunizations. As Medical Xpress reports, the discovery offers critical insights into how aggressive cancers evolve and reinforces the importance of preventative research.
Together, these efforts represent a new frontier in oncology -- where recurrence might be preventable, and breast cancer risk could be intercepted before diagnosis ever occurs.
Today's breakthroughs in breast cancer care go beyond treatment -- they aim to close gaps in detection, recurrence prevention, and equitable access.
With tools like DL Precise, radiologists are already improving outcomes for women with dense breast tissue -- a group historically underserved. And with vaccine trials like Cleveland Clinic's TNBC study, the future of care is shifting toward proactive prevention, not just reactive treatment.
The next era of oncology won't be shaped by a single breakthrough. It will be defined by how detection, prevention, and access converge to serve patients more personally -- and more powerfully.
For some, that convergence is already deeply personal. Kate Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer at OpenAI, recently shared her own breast cancer diagnosis -- and how ChatGPT supported her through it. The tool helped explain cancer to her children, manage chemotherapy side effects and even generate personalized meditations.
She wrote on X:
"In my cancer journey, ChatGPT has been my tutor, translator, coach and companion."
"Experiencing our work as a patient has made OpenAI's mission feel more personal and important."
Stories like Rouch's underscore the growing role of human-centered AI in medicine -- not just for clinicians but for patients navigating complexity, fear and healing.
The future of breast cancer AI detection lies not only in identifying tumors more accurately -- but in doing so earlier, for more people, with more personalized outcomes. As technologies like DeepLook and AI-powered support tools become embedded in patient journeys, breast cancer care is becoming not just smarter -- but more human.