BREAST DENSITY AS AN INDIVIDUAL RISK FACTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT OF BREAST CANCER IN OUR POPULATION A STUDY CARRIED OUT AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, KARACHI.

BACKGROUND: According on the proportion of fibroglandular tissue to fatty tissue, the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) divides breast density into 4 groups and offers radiologists standardized communication tools. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of breast density with development of breast cancer in local Asian population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Total 108 female patients were included in the cross-sectional study. A full-field digital mammography equipment was used for the mammograms. For bilateral breasts, four mediolateral oblique and craniocaudal images were acquired. The American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) was used to guide the interpretation of mammogram. The categories were recorded as follows: 1) Almost entirely fat (25% fibroglandular tissue); 2) Scattered fibroglandular (26%- 50%); 3) Heterogeneously dense (51%-75%); and 4) Extremely dense (>75%). Stratification was done and post stratification Chi square test or Fisher s exact test was applied. P-value 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The categories of BI-RADS were found as 16(14.8%) had category A, 48(44.4%) had category B, 38(35.2%) had category C and 6(5.6%) had category D. The breast cancer was noted in 5(31.3%) cases of category A, 24(50%) of cases of category B, 30(78.9%) of cases of category C and 5(83.3%) cases of category D, the breast cancer was significantly associated with the categories of BI-RADS (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: There is a significant association between the risk of breast cancer inour population with mammographic breast tissue density categorized by BI-RADS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]