The relationship of obesity, mammographic breast density, and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with breast cancer

Clin Imaging. 2016 Nov-Dec;40(6):1167-1172. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2016.08.009. Epub 2016 Aug 12.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI), mammographic breast density, magnetic resonance (MR) background parenchymal enhancement (BPE), and MR fibroglandular tissue (FGT) in women with breast cancer.

Methods: Our institutional database was queried for patients with preoperative mammography and breast MR imaging.

Results: There were 573 women eligible for analysis. Elevated BMI was associated with advanced stage of disease (P=.01), lower mammographic density (P<.0001), lower FGT (P<.0001), higher BPE (P=.005), and nonpalpable lesions (P=.04).

Conclusions: Higher BMI was associated with decreased breast density and FGT. Higher BMI was also associated with advanced stage disease and nonpalpable tumors on clinical exam.

Keywords: Background parenchymal enhancement; Breast cancer; Fibroglandular tissue; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mammographic breast density.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Body Mass Index
  • Breast / pathology
  • Breast Density / physiology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Mammography / methods
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / diagnostic imaging
  • Obesity / pathology*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tumor Burden
  • Young Adult