AI Can Identify Women at Risk of Breast Cancer Years in Advance, Study Finds

Visitors walk past a sculpture of a pink ribbon installed to promote the "Pink Ribbon" breast cancer awareness campaign in this illustration, October 5, 2011. (Reuters)
Visitors walk past a sculpture of a pink ribbon installed to promote the "Pink Ribbon" breast cancer awareness campaign in this illustration, October 5, 2011. (Reuters)
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AI Can Identify Women at Risk of Breast Cancer Years in Advance, Study Finds

Visitors walk past a sculpture of a pink ribbon installed to promote the "Pink Ribbon" breast cancer awareness campaign in this illustration, October 5, 2011. (Reuters)
Visitors walk past a sculpture of a pink ribbon installed to promote the "Pink Ribbon" breast cancer awareness campaign in this illustration, October 5, 2011. (Reuters)

Artificial intelligence is able to identify women who have an elevated risk of developing breast cancer several years before it is diagnosed, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said on Tuesday.

Five researchers from FHI, the University of California and the University of Washington were given access to a commercially available AI program to retroactively analyze the mammographies of 116,495 women who took part in a Norwegian detection program between 2004 and 2018.

In total, 1,607 of the women developed breast cancer.

The algorithm was able to predict which women ran a higher risk of developing breast cancer, and even identify which breast was at risk, four to six years before a diagnosis.

"We noted that the breast which developed cancer had an AI score about twice as high as the other breast," said Solveig Hofvind, who heads the detection program and the AI project.

"The study shows that the AI algorithms already available on the market can be used to develop more personalized detection programs," she said.

AI could be used for early detection of breast cancer, to reduce costs and better target at-risk populations, FHI said.

According to the World Health Organization, 670,000 women died of breast cancer in 2022, the most common form of cancer among women in most countries.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network, which edits a collection of prestigious medical journals.

The Norwegian detection program also launched a project last year involving 140,000 women to determine whether AI could be as efficient as, or even better than, radiologists to diagnose cancer cases.



Huawei’s Tri-Foldable Phone Hits Global Markets in a Show of Defiance Amid US Curbs 

Visitors stand in front of a giant billboard displaying the Huawei's first tri-foldable Mate XT smartphone during an event for its global launch in Kuala Lumpur on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Visitors stand in front of a giant billboard displaying the Huawei's first tri-foldable Mate XT smartphone during an event for its global launch in Kuala Lumpur on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Huawei’s Tri-Foldable Phone Hits Global Markets in a Show of Defiance Amid US Curbs 

Visitors stand in front of a giant billboard displaying the Huawei's first tri-foldable Mate XT smartphone during an event for its global launch in Kuala Lumpur on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Visitors stand in front of a giant billboard displaying the Huawei's first tri-foldable Mate XT smartphone during an event for its global launch in Kuala Lumpur on February 18, 2025. (AFP)

Huawei on Tuesday held a global launch for the industry’s first tri-foldable phone, which analysts said marked a symbolic victory for the Chinese tech giant amid US technology curbs. But challenges over pricing, longevity, supply and app constraints may limit its success.

Huawei said at a launch event in Kuala Lumpur that the Huawei Mate XT, first unveiled in China five months ago, will be priced at 3,499 euros ($3,662). Although dubbed a trifold, the phone has three mini-panels and folds only twice. The company says it's the thinnest foldable phone at 3.6 millimeters (0.14 inches), with a 10.2-inch screen similar to an Apple iPad.

“Right now, Huawei kind of stands alone as an innovator” with the trifold design, said Bryan Ma, vice president of device research with the market intelligence firm International Data Corporation.

Huawei reached the position despite “not getting access to chips, to Google services. All these things basically have been huge roadblocks in front of Huawei,” Ma said, adding that the “resurgence we're seeing from them over the past year has been quite a bit of a victory."

Huawei, China’s first global tech brand, is at the center of a US-China battle over trade and technology. Washington in 2019 severed Huawei’s access to US components and technology, including Google’s music and other smartphone services, making Huawei's phone less appealing to users. It has also barred global vendors from using US technology to produce components for Huawei.

American officials say Huawei is a security risk, which the company denies. China’s government has accused Washington of misusing security warnings to contain a rising competitor to US technology companies.

Huawei launched the Mate XT in China on Sept. 20 last year, the same day Apple launched its iPhone 16 series in global markets. But with its steep price tag, the Mate XT “is not a mainstream product that people are going to jump for,” Ma said.

At the Kuala Lumpur event, Huawei also unveiled its MatePad Pro tablet and Free Arc, its first open-ear earbuds with ear hooks and other wearable devices.

While Huawei’s cutting-edge devices showcase its technological prowess, its long-term success remains uncertain given ongoing challenges over global supply chain constraints, chip availability and limitations on the software ecosystem, said Ruby Lu, an analyst with the research firm TrendForce.

“System limitations, particularly the lack of Google Mobile Services, means its international market potential remains constrained,” Lu said.

IDC's Ma said Huawei dominated the foldable phone market in China with 49% market share last year. In the global market, it had 23% market share, trailing behind Samsung's 33% share in 2024, he said. IDC predicted that total foldable phone shipments worldwide could surge to 45.7 million units by 2028, from over 20 million last year.

While most major brands have entered the foldable segments, Lu said Apple has yet to release a competing product.

“Once Apple enters the market, it is expected to significantly influence and stimulate further growth in the foldable phone sector,” Lu added.