Age, family history and obesity can all influence a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. But there is another risk factor that can be overlooked: breast density.
Doctors use the American College of Radiology’s Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System to measure breast density on a mammogram, classifying women’s breasts into one of four categories: A through D. Women with the lowest breast density, category A, have breasts composed almost entirely of fat. Women with the highest breast density, category D, have extremely dense breasts made up primarily of glandular and fibrous tissue.
In a study published online Feb. 2, 2017, in JAMA Oncology, a research team led by Karla Kerlikowske, a breast cancer researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, and primary care physician at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, analyzed risk factor data on more than 18,000 breast cancer patients and 184,000 women without breast cancer collected through the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, a network of mammography registries. The study found that in both pre- and postmenopausal women, breast density was a more prevalent and significant risk factor than other common risk factors.
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