Association of Volumetric Breast Density with Clinical and Histopathological Factors in 205 Breast Cancer Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE@#To evaluate the association of volumetric breast density with clinicopathological factors in breast cancer patients.@*MATERIALS AND METHODS@#A total of 205 Korean patients with breast cancer who underwent mammography for initial staging between January 2015 and June 2016 were enrolled. Volumetric breast density was measured using a fully automated commercial method (Volpara®). in the contralateral breast. The association of volumetric breast density with clinical and histopathological factors was evaluated using t-test and analysis of variance as appropriate.@*RESULTS@#Mean volumetric breast density in all patients was 13.5% (range, 4.1–34.9%). The mean volumetric breast density in patients with symptom-detected cancers was significantly higher than that in those with screening-detected cancers (14.9% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.002). Mean volumetric breast density tended to decrease with age (20–39 years 19.0%, 40–59 years 14.3%, 60–80 years 7.7%). The mean volumetric breast density in postmenopausal women was significantly lower than that in premenopausal women (9.8% vs. 17.6%, p < .001). Other histopathological factors including histologic grade or hormone receptor status were not associated with volumetric breast density.@*CONCLUSION@#Our results suggest that volumetric breast density is associated with the method of detection, age, and menopausal status.