Mammographic signs as risk factors for breast cancer

Abstract

A case-control study was done to examine the relationship between breast cancer and the mammographic signs of prominent ducts and dysplasia. A group of 183 women with histologically verified unilateral breast cancer were age-matched with controls. Mammograms from the non-cancerous breast of the patients were randomly assembled with those of the controls and classified by 3 radiologists without knowledge of which films were from patients and which from controls. Mammographic dysplasia was strongly associated with breast cancer, particularly in women aged < 50. Prominent ducts were only weakly associated with breast cancer. Multivariate analysis showed that the association between dysplasia and breast cancer could not be explained on the basis of other risk factors for breast cancer, and that classification of dysplasia discriminated more strongly between cases and controls than did classification of Wolfe''s mammographic patterns. Mammograms contain information about risk of breast cancer. Mammographic dysplasia is strongly associated with breast cancer, is present in a substantial proportion of patients with the disease, and may offer opportunities for prevention.