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Clinical Significance of Background Parenchymal Enhancement in Breast Cancer Risk Stratification
Wakana Murakami1,2, Shabnam Mortazavi1, Tiffany Yu1
1Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) is a breast cancer risk factor. This study found that premenopausal women with BRCA mutations have significantly lower BPE levels compared to non-high-risk women, even after adjusting for confounders.
Area of Science:
- Radiology and Medical Imaging
- Oncology
- Genetics
Background:
- Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on MRI is a known breast cancer risk factor.
- The precise relationship between BPE levels and breast cancer risk stratification requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical association between BPE levels and breast cancer risk.
- To adjust for covariates such as age, ethnicity, and hormonal status in evaluating this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 954 screening breast MRI datasets from 721 women across four risk cohorts.
- Utilized propensity score matching (PSM) to control for confounding variables.
- Employed logistic regression and Mann-Whitney U tests to analyze BPE levels and their association with risk factors.
Main Results:
- Substantial inter-reader agreement (κ=0.74) was achieved in BPE assessment.
- Premenopausal women with BRCA mutations (Group 1) exhibited significantly lower BPE than non-high-risk groups (Groups 3 and 4).
- The odds ratio (OR) for gene mutations associated with BPE level was 0.35.
Conclusions:
- Adjusting for confounders, premenopausal women with BRCA mutations demonstrate a significantly lower BPE level compared to women without high-risk mutations.
- These findings contribute to a more refined understanding of BPE in breast cancer risk stratification.
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