Body Size Changes and Breast Density in Women
Author Information
Author(s): McCormack V A, Silva I dos Santos, Stavola BL De, Perry N, Vinnicombe S, Swerdlow A J, Hardy R, Kuh D
Primary Institution: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Hypothesis
How do life-course changes in body size relate to mammographic parenchymal patterns in women?
Conclusion
The study found that mammographic patterns are strongly associated with body size changes throughout a woman's life.
Supporting Evidence
- Women with lower BMI and smaller breast size had more dense mammographic patterns.
- Later age at menarche was associated with a higher Wolfe grade.
- Height velocities during early childhood were inversely associated with greater Wolfe grades.
- Adult BMI at any previous age was associated with a lower odds of a higher Wolfe grade.
Takeaway
This study looked at how a woman's body size changes over time and how that affects the density of her breast tissue, which can influence breast cancer risk.
Methodology
The study used cumulative logit models to analyze the relationship between body size changes and mammographic patterns in a cohort of women followed since birth.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of mammographic patterns due to the subjective nature of the Wolfe grading system.
Limitations
The study may underestimate the proportions of certain mammographic patterns due to not including private or diagnostic mammograms.
Participant Demographics
Women from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, born in 1946, with a mean age of 53 at the time of mammography.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.92, 1.15
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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