Association between breast cancer, breast density, and body adiposity evaluated by MRI.
OBJECTIVE
Despite the lack of reliable methods with which to measure breast density from 2D mammograms, numerous studies have demonstrated a positive association between breast cancer and breast density. The goal of this study was to study the association between breast cancer and body adiposity, as well as breast density quantitatively assessed from 3D MRI breast images.


METHODS
Breast density was calculated from 3D T1-weighted MRI images. The thickness of the upper abdominal adipose layer was used as a surrogate marker for body adiposity. We evaluated the correlation between breast density, age, body adiposity, and breast cancer.


RESULTS
Breast density was calculated for 410 patients with unilateral invasive breast cancer, 73 patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 361 controls without breast cancer. Breast density was inversely related to age and the thickness of the upper abdominal adipose layer. Breast cancer was only positively associated with body adiposity and age.


CONCLUSIONS
Age and body adiposity are predictive of breast density. Breast cancer was not associated with breast density; however, it was associated with the thickness of the upper abdominal adipose layer, a surrogate marker for body adiposity. Our results based on a limited number of patients warrant further investigations.


CONCLUSIONS
• MRI breast density is negatively associated with body adiposity. • MRI breast density is negatively associated with age. • Breast cancer is positively associated with body adiposity. • Breast Cancer is not associated with MRI breast density.
Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. wzhu3@jhmi.edu.
Wenlian
W
Zhu
Department of Oncology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Division, School of Medicine; Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Peng
P
Huang
Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.|Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Katarzyna J
KJ
Macura
Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.|Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Dmitri
D
Artemov
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000071060:Breast Density; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
Adiposity; Age; Breast cancer; Breast density; Magnetic resonance imaging