Anthropometric factors, adult weight gain, and mammographic features

Abstract

Adiposity seems positively associated with both dense and non-dense areas following adjustment for each other. Our findings suggest a higher breast dense area among women who gained weight and that a minimum of breast fat may be needed to promote the proliferation of this fibroglandular tissue.

Adiposity, breast density, and breast cancer risk: epidemiological and biological considerations

“…The associations evaluated with these approaches could be compared with analyses carried out on area measurements partly adjusted for nondense area or for adiposity. This hypothesis is also reported in a recent analysis that we carried out among 1435 premenopausal and postmenopausal White women recruited at screening mammography ( Soguel and Diorio, 2016 ). We computed correlations between BMI, WC, WHR, and absolute dense area and found a negative correlation after adjustment for potential confounders, but not for variables reflecting adiposity ( r =−0.21; −0.23; and −0.19, respectively, P <0.0001).…”

“…In contrast to the inconsistent results for the association between absolute nondense area and breast cancer risk, cross-sectional analyses on the association between absolute nondense area, or volume, and adiposity have shown a constant positive association for BMI ( Boyd et al , 1998 ; Maskarinec et al , 2001 ; Heng et al , 2004 ; Haars et al , 2005 ; Boyd et al , 2006 ; Guthrie et al , 2007 ; Irwin et al , 2007 ; Stone et al , 2009 ; Sung et al , 2010 ; Harris et al , 2011 ; Tseng and Byrne, 2011 ; Woolcott et al , 2011 ; Eng et al , 2014 ; Nayeem et al , 2014 ; Schetter et al , 2014 ; Soguel and Diorio, 2016 ), with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.41 to 0.77, percentage ( Boyd et al , 1998 ; Sung et al , 2010 ; Woolcott et al , 2011 ) or total ( Nayeem et al , 2014 ) body fat, and WC or WHR ( Sung et al , 2010 ; Tseng and Byrne, 2011 ; Woolcott et al , 2011 ; Nayeem et al , 2014 ; Soguel and Diorio, 2016 ). These results are not surprising because when adiposity is high, it can be expected that breast fat is also found in high amounts.…”

“…Percent density, whether calculated with areas or volumes or estimated by subjective visual scales, has been consistently and negatively associated with measures of body fatness such as BMI ( Boyd et al , 1998 ; Maskarinec et al , 2001 ; Heng et al , 2004 ; Haars et al , 2005 ; Tamimi et al , 2005 ; Boyd et al , 2006 ; Ursin et al , 2006 ; Guthrie et al , 2007 ; Irwin et al , 2007 ; McCormack et al , 2007 ; Jeffreys et al , 2008 ; McCormack et al , 2008 ; Reeves et al , 2009 ; Stone et al , 2009 ; Lokate et al , 2010 ; Sung et al , 2010 ; Harris et al , 2011 ; Maskarinec et al , 2011 ; Tehranifar et al , 2011 ; Tseng and Byrne, 2011 ; Woolcott et al , 2011 ; Dorgan et al , 2012 ; Pollan et al , 2012 ; Eng et al , 2014 ; Gierach et al , 2014 ; Nayeem et al , 2014 ; Schetter et al , 2014 ; Soguel and Diorio, 2016 ), with correlation coefficients ranging from −0.41 to −0.61, percentage ( Boyd et al , 1998 ; Caire-Juvera et al , 2008 ; Sung et al , 2010 ; Woolcott et al , 2011 ) or total ( Nayeem et al , 2014 ) body fat, or estimated by somatotypes ( Samimi et al , 2008 ) and with measures of abdominal body fat distribution such as WC or WHR ( Sung et al , 2010 ; Tseng and Byrne, 2011 ; Woolcott et al , 2011 ; Dorgan et al , 2012 ; Pollan et al , 2012 ; Nayeem et al , 2014 ; Soguel and Di...…”

“…We computed correlations between BMI, WC, WHR, and absolute dense area and found a negative correlation after adjustment for potential confounders, but not for variables reflecting adiposity ( r =−0.21; −0.23; and −0.19, respectively, P <0.0001). When we further adjusted for absolute nondense area, that is, when breast fat is considered, these three correlations switched from negative to positive ( r =0.16, 0.12, and 0.06, respectively, P <0.025) ( Soguel and Diorio, 2016 ). To our knowledge, this is the only study in which the association between adiposity and absolute dense area was adjusted for absolute nondense area.…”

Age at Menarche and Late Adolescent Adiposity Associated with Mammographic Density on Processed Digital Mammograms in 24,840 Women

“…A study of childhood weight/BMI identified an inverse association between mammographic density measures and BMI measured at ages 7–15 years with the strongest in late adolescence (20). Similarly, Soguel et al (27) found a negative correlation between BMI at 18 years of age and mammographic density, with correlations of −0.18 and −0.09 for PD and DA, respectively.…”