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Published on: December 15, 2014
Mammographic density changes following BC treatment
Ibrahem H Kanbayti1, William I D Rae2, Mark F McEntee3
1Diagnostic Radiography Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia; Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group (MIOPeG), Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Australia.
Background:
Mammographic density (MD) reduction is associated with lower risk of breast cancer (BC) recurrence and may be used as a marker of treatment outcome; however, trends in MD following BC therapies and the factors associated with such trends are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate MD changes following BC treatment and the factors associated with these changes.
Methods:
A total of 226 BC-affected patients who received BC treatments were examined. MD was assessed by the Laboratory for individualized Radiodensity Assessment (LIBRA) software. A Wilcoxon ranked signed test was used to investigate the differences in MD before and after treatment and median independent test to assess the associated factors.
Results:
Significant differences in MD between baseline and follow-up mammograms were observed for all MD measures: percent density (p ≤ 0.005), dense area (p ≤ 0.004), and nondense area (p ≤ 0.02). After adjustment, these differences were more pronounced among younger at BC diagnosis (p ≤ 0.001), premenopausal (p ≤ 0.003), and obese women (p ≤ 0.05). Changes in MD were evident regardless of the treatment regimen. MD reduction was observed among patients with high baseline MD (p < 0.001), younger at BC diagnosis (p ≤ 0.04), premenopausal (p < 0.001), and normal body mass index (p = 0.04). Patients who experienced an increase in nondense area had high percent density at baseline (p ≤ 0.001).
Conclusion:
Two different MD changes were observed over time: MD increase and decrease. Baseline MD, menopausal status, age at BC diagnosis, and body mass index influenced these changes.
