Factors that influence changes in mammographic density with postmenopausal hormone therapy

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Radiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Hormone therapy (HT) is commonly used by postmenopausal women.
• Mammographic density is a risk factor for breast cancer.
• The relationship between HT and mammographic density requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between mammographic density and clinical factors in postmenopausal women undergoing HT.
• To identify patient and treatment characteristics influencing mammographic density changes during HT.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 467 postmenopausal women receiving continuous estrogen or estrogen-progestin HT.
• Data collected included age at HT initiation, menopause onset, BMI, and HT duration and regimen.
• Mammographic density was assessed and correlated with clinical variables.

Main Results:

• Age at HT start and BMI were inversely associated with mammographic density (p=0.0025 and p<0.001, respectively).
• Duration of HT showed a positive correlation with mammographic density (p<0.001).
• Combined HT showed increased density after 4 years compared to estrogen alone, but this did not reach statistical significance after adjustments.

Conclusions:

• Increased mammographic density is associated with longer duration of HT use.
• Younger postmenopausal women and those with lower BMI exhibit higher mammographic density with HT.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering patient factors and HT duration in mammographic density assessment.