Ambry Genetics, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Tempus AI, Inc. and long recognized as a pioneer in clinical genomic testing, has announced a significant enhancement to its Ambry CARE Program® (CARE). The program, a digital platform designed to streamline cancer risk assessment and genetic testing workflows, now incorporates breast density into the Tyrer-Cuzick (TC) breast cancer risk model. By embedding this updated model directly within the electronic health record (EHR), clinicians will have access to more personalized and accurate risk estimates at the point of care, enabling them to guide patients toward more effective screening and risk-reduction strategies.
The Growing Burden of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. According to the American Cancer Society, hundreds of thousands of new cases are detected each year in the United States alone. Early and accurate identification of risk remains central to improving outcomes.
Despite the availability of guidelines and risk models, risk assessment practices often fall short in real-world clinical settings. Studies show that nearly 93% of women who qualify for breast MRI based on family or medical history never receive one. This gap is frequently due to incomplete or inconsistent use of risk assessment tools. The consequences are significant: missed opportunities for earlier detection, delayed interventions, and ultimately, poorer patient outcomes.
Role of Risk Models in Screening
To address this gap, risk prediction models like Tyrer-Cuzick (TC) are widely used by clinicians. The TC model is one of the most validated and frequently cited tools in breast cancer risk assessment and is recommended by the American College of Radiology (ACR) to guide decisions around screening. The model calculates risk by factoring in variables such as family history, reproductive history, genetic predispositions, and more recently, breast density.
Breast density is particularly important because it plays a dual role in breast cancer. First, women with dense breast tissue are known to have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Second, dense tissue makes tumors more difficult to detect through mammography, reducing the sensitivity of the most common screening method. As a result, incorporating breast density into the TC model can shift a patient’s classification from average to high risk, leading to more appropriate screening recommendations.
CARE’s Digital Integration of Breast Density
Ambry’s CARE Program takes this a step further by embedding the enhanced TC score directly into the EHR. This means clinicians no longer need to step outside of their workflow to calculate or interpret risk scores. With CARE, providers can access four different TC scores aligned with the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) breast density categories (A–D). This flexibility allows physicians to use the most accurate risk estimate tailored to each patient’s breast density profile.
Importantly, the CARE update aligns with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent mandate requiring breast density information to be shared with patients. While many healthcare organizations treat this requirement as a compliance measure, Ambry’s integration ensures breast density is not simply reported but actively informs risk assessment and clinical decision-making.
Clinical Impact of Enhanced Risk Scores
The implications of this integration are substantial. For example, women identified with a 20% or higher lifetime risk may qualify for enhanced surveillance, including annual breast MRI, in addition to mammography. By surfacing this information at the point of care, CARE empowers clinicians to make evidence-based recommendations that could lead to earlier detection or even preventive measures.
Dr. Melissa Frey, M.D., M.S., Associate Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of the Genetics and Personalized Cancer Prevention Program in New York, underscored the value of this development:
“Calculating a Tyrer-Cuzick score and engaging women in discussions about their breast cancer risk, screening, and risk-reduction strategies can be lifesaving. Importantly, incorporating breast density into the model makes the assessment even more powerful. Every woman deserves access to this information, yet integrating risk assessment into busy clinical workflows has remained a major challenge. Digital tools that streamline this process hold enormous promise to expand access and ultimately benefit countless women.”
A Step Toward More Personalized Medicine
Ambry’s leadership believes that making advanced risk assessment tools practical and accessible for everyday clinical use is critical to improving patient care.
“Accurately assessing breast cancer risk is key to improving outcomes, but important factors like breast density often get overlooked,” said Tom Schoenherr, CEO of Ambry Genetics. “By bringing together Tyrer-Cuzick scoring and breast density right in the EHR, CARE shows how Ambry is making it easier for providers to get actionable insights within their workflow, ultimately helping patients get the care they need.”
Expanding the Scope of CARE
The latest update also expands the broader value of CARE as a comprehensive digital risk assessment solution. In addition to breast cancer risk prediction, the platform already supports hereditary cancer risk assessment. CARE has demonstrated remarkable accuracy in this regard. A recent study published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network showed that CARE interprets NCCN Guidelines® with 99.5% accuracy, establishing the platform as one of the most reliable digital tools available for risk stratification.
By combining hereditary cancer evaluation with robust breast cancer risk scoring that incorporates breast density, CARE positions itself as a multi-dimensional tool that supports preventive oncology and personalized medicine.
Looking Ahead
The integration of breast density into the TC model within CARE marks a meaningful advancement in cancer prevention. It represents not only a technical upgrade but also a shift toward closing longstanding gaps in screening practices. With breast cancer continuing to affect millions worldwide, tools like CARE that integrate seamlessly into clinical practice are likely to become increasingly essential.
For patients, this means more precise identification of risk, earlier opportunities for intervention, and potentially, improved survival outcomes. For clinicians, it means an easier, more efficient way to deliver high-quality care. And for healthcare organizations, it means moving beyond regulatory compliance to proactive risk management that truly serves patients.
As Ambry Genetics continues to evolve under the umbrella of Tempus AI, innovations like these reinforce the company’s commitment to advancing clinical genomics and digital health solutions that make precision medicine a reality.
For more information about CARE, please visit ambrygen.com/care.
ABOUT TEMPUS
Tempus is a technology company advancing precision medicine through the practical application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. With one of the world’s largest libraries of multimodal data, and an operating system to make that data accessible and useful, Tempus provides AI-enabled precision medicine solutions to physicians to deliver personalized patient care and in parallel facilitates discovery, development and delivery of optimal therapeutics. The goal is for each patient to benefit from the treatment of others who came before by providing physicians with tools that learn as the company gathers more data. For more information, visit tempus.com.
ABOUT AMBRY GENETICS ®
Ambry Genetics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tempus, translates scientific research into clinically actionable test results based upon a deep understanding of the human genome and the biology behind genetic disease. It is a leader in genetic testing and aims to improve health by understanding the relationship between genetics and disease. Over its 25-year history, Ambry has remained committed to empowering patients to make informed healthcare decisions based on their genetic data.
