Menstrual cycle-related fluctuations in breast density measured by using three-dimensional MR imaging

To investigate the fluctuation of fibroglandular tissue volume (FV) and percentage of breast density (PD) during the menstrual cycle and compare with postmenopausal women by using three-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR)-based segmentation methods.

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and was HIPAA compliant. Written informed consent was obtained. Thirty healthy female subjects, 24 premenopausal and six postmenopausal, were recruited. All subjects underwent MR imaging examination each week for 4 consecutive weeks. The breast volume (BV), FV, and PD were measured by two operators to evaluate interoperator variation. The fluctuation of each parameter measured over the course of the four examinations was evaluated on the basis of the coefficient of variation (CV).

The results from two operators showed a high Pearson correlation for BV (R(2) = 0.99), FV (R(2) = 0.98), and PD (R(2) = 0.96). The interoperator variation was 3% for BV and around 5%-6% for FV and PD. In the respective premenopausal and postmenopausal groups, the mean CV was 5.0% and 5.6% for BV, 7.6% and 4.2% for FV, and 7.1% and 6.0% for PD. The difference between premenopausal and postmenopausal groups was not significant (all P values > .05).

The fluctuation of breast density measured at MR imaging during a menstrual cycle was around 7%. The results may help the design and interpretation of future studies by using the change of breast density as a surrogate marker to evaluate the efficacy of hormone-modifying drugs for cancer treatment or cancer prevention.