Breast Density Research Studies in DCEG

Overview

Mammographic breast density (MBD) is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer in women. Over the past several decades, DCEG has developed an interdisciplinary research program to unravel the epidemiologic, molecular, and pathologic underpinnings of MBD. Learn more about breast density. 

Background & Purpose

MBD refers to the appearance of breast tissue on a mammogram. Dense breasts contain more fibrous and glandular tissue (which shows up white or bright on imaging) than fat (which appears dark). Breast cancer and some benign breast conditions are denser than fat and also appear white on a mammogram. In general, women of child-bearing age tend to have denser breasts than postmenopausal women. Studies of the natural history of the breast have shown that density typically decreases as a woman ages. Breasts that are denser may be harder to successfully screen for early signs of tumorigenesis, since the white of the fibrous tissue can mask an emerging cancer. 

In the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project (BCDDP) cohort, investigators found that women who had a breast density of 75 percent or greater at the time of their baseline mammogram had an almost five-fold increased risk of breast cancer compared with women with no visible dense breast tissue (Byrne, 1995). This effect persisted for 10 or more years in this screened population and was observed for premenopausal and postmenopausal women of all ages. 

mammograms showing breast density

Credit: Cancer Epidemiology, Schottenfeld & Fraumeni, Breast Cancer Chapter

Natural History & Tumor Heterogeneity Studies

  • Breast Cancer Among Asian Women

    A study of breast cancer among Asian populations, including mainland China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, with the aim of identifying distinct molecular alterations in tumors and adjacent normal tissues and histologic images, and examining the associations of these molecular changes with risk factors, breast tissue composition and density, and breast cancer subtypes.

  • Breast Radiology Evaluation and Study of Tissues (BREAST) Stamp Project

    A study that aims to characterize the radiologic, histologic, and molecular features of dense breast tissue

  • Kaiser Permanente Breast Cancer Survivors Cohort

    The study was initiated in 2011 as a transdisciplinary resource to investigate the risk of second cancer and cardiovascular disease. Co-principal investigators Gretchen Gierach and Jacqueline Vo collaborate with experts from the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology, Radiation Epidemiology, and Biostatistics Branches, the Cancer Survivorship Research Unit, and investigators at multiple Kaiser Permanente Study Centers.

  • Ultrasound Study of the Effects of Tamoxifen on Breast Tissue

    Dr. Gretchen Gierach in the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch and collaborators in the Cancer Survivorship Research Unit, at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, and the University of Toronto, are using ultrasound tomography to define the time course of volumetric breast density changes among women receiving tamoxifen treatment.

Tools & Resources

Related Resources

  • Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions

  • Breast Cancer Research in DCEG

    An inventory of DCEG research on breast cancer, a malignancy that usually forms in the breast ducts and lobules. Breast cancer occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare. Research spans studies of environmental, lifestyle, reproductive, genetic, and other factors that may influence risk as well as studies of the microenvironment and tissues.