The Screening Tomosynthesis trial with advanced REAding Methods (STREAM) investigates the potential performance and impact of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) in the Dutch breast cancer screening programme. STREAM is prospective, non-randomised, parallel-group population-based trial embedded in the Dutch programme. The intervention arm (n=17,275) undergoes two rounds of DBT imaging and the control group (n=86,400) undergoes two rounds of DM screening acquired around the same time as the DBT examinations. Outcomes of interest are short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness of nationwide DBT breast cancer screening in the Netherlands, when an optimal image acquisition and interpretation strategy is used, and to ensure its acceptability by the various stakeholders. More information on the design and rationale of the STREAM trial can be found elsewhere [1].

Before implementation of DBT can be considered, it is also important to know if participants and professionals accept DBT screening to replace DM. Participation to the Dutch breast cancer screening programme has decreased over the last years [2,3]. Therefore, it is important to investigate the acceptability of DBT among participants to prevent a further decrease in participation rate if DBT would be implemented. Also acceptance among screening professionals (i.e., screening radiographers and screening radiologists) is important, as they are the ones who may have to work with DBT in screening.  

Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the acceptability of DBT screening among screening participants and professionals within the STREAM trial compared to DM screening.