Monday, November 27 | 8 a.m.-8:10 a.m. | M1-SSBR03-2 | Room E352
Here, a presentation will show how breast density impacts both interval cancer rates and overall cancer rates, which could further inform treatment and management strategies.
In her talk, Elizabeth Morris, MD, from the University of California, Davis will discuss her team’s findings, which show that women with dense breasts have a higher risk of developing ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive cancer.
Breast density has come under focus in recent years, with advocates calling for legislation to mandate disclosing such information to women undergoing breast cancer screening. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2023 adjusted its Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requiring such disclosure.
Morris and colleagues wanted to evaluate the impact of mammographic breast density on masking cancers and predicting future breast cancer risk in a large multifacility screening mammography center. The analysis included 201,864 consecutive bilateral 2D full-field digital screening mammograms performed between 2011 and 2016.
The researchers found that women with dense breast tissue had significantly higher odds of having an interval cancer diagnosis and an overall cancer diagnosis compared with women without dense breasts. This included an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.83 (interval cancer) and 1.38 (overall cancer) for women with dense breasts (p < 0.001 for both).
The team also reported a similar trend for DCIS (OR, 1.53) and invasive cancers (OR, 1.33), both of which were statistically significant (p < 0.001 for both).
The group suggested that their findings support current U.S. federal legislation language for the dual impact of breast density on cancer masking and risk prediction. Attend this session to find out more.
