health
High-density breast tissue not tied to greater risk of cancer death
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 17, 2012
Having elevated breast tissue density is a risk factor for developing breast cancer. But breast cancer patients with dense breasts were no more likely to die of the disease than other women with the illness, said a study published online Aug. 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
There was an increased risk of dying among patients with low breast density who also are obese or diagnosed with large or high-grade tumors, the study said.
Researchers examined data from the U.S. Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium on 9,232 women who were 30 or older when they were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1996 and 2005. They analyzed breast density using the Breast Imaging, Reporting and Data System score, which is assigned by a radiologist after reviewing a mammogram.
There was a mean follow-up of 6.6 years. The study reported 1,795 deaths, including 889 from breast cancer and 810 from other causes. The remaining 96 deaths were due to an uncertain cause (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/09/17/hlbf0917.htm.
