Ionizing radiation and volumetric mammographic density.

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Imaging
• Oncology
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Mammographic density (MD) is a breast cancer surrogate marker.
• High-dose ionizing radiation (IR) is a known breast cancer risk factor.
• The relationship between low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) and MD requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between lifetime low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) and mammographic density (MD).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study of 467 women aged 40-60 years in Łódź, Poland.
• Volumetric breast density (VBD) and fibrograndular tissue volume (FG) were assessed using Volpara Imaging Software.
• LDIR exposure was estimated via interviews and literature data; regression analyses were performed.

Main Results:

• No significant association was found between VBD or FG and breast organ dose or effective dose from LDIR.
• A weak, significant association was observed between the number of mammographies and FG volume (β=0.028).
• Women with >3 mammographies had a predicted mean FG volume >13.4 cm³ compared to those with none.

Conclusions:

• The study generally does not support a positive association between LDIR and MD.
• The weak association between FG volume and the number of mammographies requires further validation in larger studies.