Highlights
- •The link between breast density, breast cancer subtype, and prognosis is unclear.
- •We examined breast cancer subtype and breast composition in Japanese women.
- •No relationship was detected between the cancer subtypes and breast composition.
- •Treatment decision should continue to be made based on cancer subtype.
Abstract
Background
In the United States, Europe, and Asia, a consensus has been reached that there is
a higher risk of breast cancer in high density breasts. However, there are some contrary
reports that suggest the absence of an association between breast composition and
breast cancer subtype; thus, there is conflicting evidence. The purpose of this study
was to investigate trends in the incidence of breast cancer subtypes according to
breast composition and analyze the survival rates in Japanese women.
Patients and Methods
Between 2007 and 2008, 1258 Japanese patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent
mammography and obtained a pathological diagnosis in our institution were included
in the study. We compared cancer subtypes with breast composition types (dense and
non-dense breast), and classified them based on initial mammography findings. Information
on 5- and 10-year survival rates was collected by chart review for patients with dense
and nondense breasts. Statistical analysis was performed using the Pearson's chi-square
test for breast composition and cancer subtype. The effect of breast composition on
mortality was examined using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, and adjusted
hazard ratios were calculated.
Results
No significant difference was found between breast cancer subtype and breast composition
(P = .08). Five-year (log-rank test, P = .09) and 10-year (log-rank test, P = .31) survival rates were not significantly different between breast composition
types.
Conclusion
There was no significant association between breast composition and cancer subtypes.
There was also no significant difference in the prognosis between patients with and
without dense breasts.
Keywords
Abbreviations:
BI-RADS (Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System), HR (Hormone receptor), HER-2 (Human epidermal growth factor Type 2), BC (Breast cancer), TNBC (Triple negative breast cancer), ER (Estrogen reception), PgR (Progesterone receptor)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 21, 2022
Accepted:
April 16,
2022
Received in revised form:
March 24,
2022
Received:
June 23,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
