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Mammographic changes associated with postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy: a longitudinal study
P C Stomper1, B J Van Voorhis, V A Ravnikar
1Department of Radiology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, SUNY, Buffalo 14263.
Radiology
|February 1, 1990
Summary
Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy can cause benign increases in mammographic density. These changes may reduce mammography
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Oncology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is commonly used by postmenopausal women.
- Mammography is a crucial screening tool for breast cancer detection.
- Changes in breast tissue density can affect mammographic interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the frequency and types of mammographic changes in postmenopausal women undergoing HRT.
- To assess the impact of HRT on breast tissue density and appearance on mammograms.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of screen-film mammograms from 50 postmenopausal women.
- Comparison of pre-treatment and post-treatment mammographic findings.
- Assessment of mammographic changes including parenchymal density, asymmetry, and cyst formation.
Main Results:
- 24% of women showed increased parenchymal density after a median of 18 months of HRT.
- Specific changes included diffuse density increase (14%), multifocal asymmetric densities (4%), and cyst formation (6%).
- Estrogen-progesterone therapy showed a trend towards more changes than estrogen-alone therapy, but not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Benign increases in mammographic density are a common finding in postmenopausal women using HRT.
- Serial mammographic changes associated with HRT may potentially decrease the sensitivity of mammography for early breast cancer detection.