title: Mammographic parenchymal patterns and breast cancer risk in New South Wales North Coast Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
abstract: The objective of the study was to document the distribution of mammographic parenchymal patterns (MPP) of Indigenous Australian women attending BreastScreen New South Wales (NSW) North Coast, to profile breast cancer risk as it relates to breast density and to explore the correlation between MPP, breast size as described by the posterior nipple line (PNL) and age.
  
  
  
  Ethics was granted from CQUniversity Human Research Ethics Committee, NSW Population Health Services Research Ethics Committee and the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council Ethics Committee. A quantitative retrospective analysis reviewed 502 screening mammograms against the Tabár I-V MPP classification system. The PNL was measured in millimetres (mm) and the age of the patient documented.
  
  
  
  A statistically significant variation in the distribution of MPP (P < 0.0001) was demonstrated, with patterns of I (23.9%), II (45.6%), III (10.4%), IV (15.9%) and V (4.2%). Statistically significant differences were noted in the age of subjects between patterns (P = 0.0002). Patterns I and V demonstrated statistically significant lower ages than II, III and IV (all P < 0.05). Pattern V demonstrated a statistically significant lower age than pattern I (P = 0.0393). Pattern V demonstrated a statistically significant lower PNL value than all other patterns (all P < 0.001/P < 0.0002); pattern II was statistically significantly higher in PNL value than all other patterns (P < 0.002/P < 0.001). No significant relationship was noted between PNL and age.
  
  
  
  The study demonstrated that no identifiable or unique distribution of MPP was noted in this snapshot of Indigenous women. A larger study of Indigenous Australian women is required for validation.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical and Applied Sciences Faculty of Sciences Engineering and Health CQUniversity Mackay Queensland Australia; School of Medicine and Health Sciences Discipline of Medical Imaging UPNG Taurama Campus University of Papua New Guinea Boroko NCD Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pape
authors.affiliation: School of Medical and Applied Sciences Faculty of Sciences Engineering and Health CQUniversity Mackay Queensland Australia; School of Dentistry and Health Sciences Faculty of Science Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia.
authors.forename: Kelly Maree
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Spuur
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry and Health Sciences Faculty of Science Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry and Health Sciences Faculty of Science Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia.
authors.forename: Lacey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greene
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001315:Australia; D001940:Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072356:Parenchymal Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; breast cancer risk; breast density; mammographic parenchymal patterns; mammography screening