title: Relationship between mammographic breast density and tamoxifen in women with breast cancer.
abstract: Previous studies have reported that tamoxifen use is associated with a decrease in mammographic breast density. This is a potentially valuable finding since mammographic sensitivity is limited by breast density. Anything that reduces breast density would theoretically enhance the sensitivity of mammography for the detection of breast cancer in women at an earlier stage when it is more curable. We performed a retrospective study investigating the potential effect of tamoxifen on breast density. The data for this retrospective study were collected from the records of 52 charts from a single medical oncologist. Patients with breast cancer were selected regardless of stage or age at the time of diagnosis or treatment, as long as their charts had records of bilateral mammograms. For each breast on each woman, both mediolateral oblique and craniocaudal views were reviewed independently by two radiologists on two separate occasions to obtain inter- and intraobserver variability. Two methods of classifying breast density were used: the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), and measurements of percent density. Only age and menopausal status were found to be associated with breast density. There was no correlation between breast density and tamoxifen use (past or present). Our study shows no association between tamoxifen use and breast density. We confirm previous observations that breast density is inversely correlated with age and postmenopausal status.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, New York University Hospital, New York, New York 10016, USA. amy.tiersten@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiersten
authors.forename: Yin Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Eliza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pile-Spellman
authors.forename: Caron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nelsen
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Noguera-Irizarry
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brafman
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Troxel
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D017698:Postmenopause; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013629:Tamoxifen