High Volumetric Breast Density Predicts Risk for Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal, but not Premenopausal, Korean Women

We investigated the association between mammographic breast density and breast cancer risk in Korean women according to menopausal status and breast cancer subtypes. We enrolled 677 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and 1,307 healthy controls who participated in screening mammography at the National Cancer Center. Breast density was estimated using volumetric breast composition measurement. Of the total population, 1,156 (58.3 %) women were postmenopausal. The risk of breast cancer increased progressively with the increment of volumetric density grade (VDG) in postmenopausal women (p 2 cm) and a Ki67 index >15 %. High volumetric breast density is significantly associated with the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women; however, these relationships were not found in premenopausal women.