The Health/AI Program identifies solutions in the market to support the expansion of breast cancer screening

The report on the results of the preliminary market consultation (CPM) on artificial intelligence (AI) solutions applied to breast cancer screening is now available, an initiative coordinated through the Health/AI Program. The document includes 7 technological solutions that, once validated in the context of the Catalan health system, could support the increase in activity of the expansion of the age range of the target population of the screening program, recently announced by the Spanish Ministry of Health.

The consultation was publicly presented on February 17, 2026 with the objective of knowing the level of development and availability of AI-based solutions that can support the early diagnosis of breast cancer in the Catalan health system.

During the participation period, market operators presented their proposals and held interviews with representatives of the entities promoting the challenge. In total, 11 proposals were received that described 12 different technological solutions, of which 8 proposals fit the purpose of the consultation. With these proposals, the interview process continued.

The information gathered has made it possible to assess the extent to which the market is prepared to offer and develop interoperable AI solutions for breast cancer screening. The analyzed proposals show that these technologies can respond to the different use cases raised, both for the population that currently participates in the Early Breast Cancer Detection Program and for the upcoming expansions of the age ranges or specific situations that make it difficult to detect lesions in mammography, such as women with dense breasts. They also offer flexibility to adapt to different screening strategies and technological integration models.

The publication of the report formally closes the preliminary market consultation process and provides useful information to guide future actions in this area. In any case, before being implemented, these tools available in the market will have to be validated with data from the Catalan public system. In other words, any artificial intelligence tool for breast cancer screening must be previously tested in the radiology units of hospital centers in Catalonia to guarantee its performance in our population and in the screening program, and ensure that it contributes to maintaining, or even improving, the quality of the service provided.

The challenge is driven by the Master Plan for Oncology within the framework of the Health/IA Program, and has the guidance and advice of the Catalan Society of Radiology and the professionals of the radiology units of various hospital centers in Catalonia. This CPM has been convened by the Health Quality and Assessment Agency of Catalonia (AQuAS) with the participation of the Department of Health, the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut), the Instituto de Diagnóstico por la Imagen (IDI) and the TIC Salut i Social Foundation.