Childhood factors associated with mammographic density in adult women

Abstract

Growth and development factors could contribute to the development of breast cancer associated with an increase in mammographic density. This study examines the influence of certain childhood-related, socio-demographic and anthropometric variables on mammographic density in adult woman. The study covered 3574 women aged 45-68 years, participating in breast cancer-screening programmes in seven Spanish cities. Based on a craniocaudal mammogram, blind, anonymous measurement of mammographic density was made by a single radiologist, using Boyd's semiquantitative scale. Data associated with the early stages of life were obtained from a direct survey. Ordinal logistic regression and generalised linear models were employed to estimate the association between mammographic density and the variables covered by the questionnaire. Screening programme was introduced as a random effects term. Age, number of children, body mass index (BMI) and other childhood-related variables were used as adjustment variables, and stratified by menopausal status. A total of 811 women (23%) presented mammographic density of over 50%, and 5% of densities exceeded 75%. Our results show a greater prevalence of high mammographic density in women with low prepubertal weight (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.02-1.36); marked prepubertal height (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.97-1.60) and advanced age of their mothers at their birth (>39 years: OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.03-1.60); and a lower prevalence of high mammographic density in women with higher prepubertal weight, low birth weight and earlier menarche. The influence of these early-life factors may be explained by greater exposure to hormones and growth factors during the development of the breast gland, when breast tissue would be particularly susceptible to proliferative and carcinogenic stimulus.

Early Life Body Fatness, Serum Anti-Müllerian Hormone, and Breast Density in Young Adult Women

“…An inverse association between early life adiposity and breast cancer risk is well established (1–8). Our previous analyses in this population demonstrated an inverse association between youth adiposity and dense breast volume (9), in agreement with several other studies of this association (46–51). Given that obesity is known to influence ovarian function (11, 12), body fatness during childhood and adolescence could also decrease breast cancer risk by influencing AMH levels.…”

Early life growth, socioeconomic status, and mammographic breast density in an urban US birth cohort

“…For example, Aitken et al reported 6–7% higher %MD in women in the highest adult SES category as compared to those in the lowest adult SES category (53). None of the few studies that assessed the association between early life SES and MD in addition to other early life growth data have observed an independent association (23, 24, 29, 30). However, unlike our prospective data on multiple dimensions of SES, these studies used data for a single dimension of SES (29, 30), and from adult participants’ recall of parental SES (23, 24).…”

“…In our study, the associations of percentile weight change from ages 1 to 7 years with %MD, but not with non-dense area, remained after adjusting for birthweight, other measures of early life growth and adult BMI. Several studies have shown inverse associations between different indicators of early life growth, including childhood body size, weight and BMI velocities, and different measurement of MD, including qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative assessments (24–26, 33, 34), while other studies have reported mostly null or nonsignificant results (23, 27, 31, 37, 48, 49). We found no evidence of an association between %MD and birthweight, birth length and gestational age, which is consistent with results of some studies (23–25, 31, 48), but differs from results of other studies that have reported positive associations between birthweight and MD (27, 29, 37).…”

“…Three studies found positive associations between birthweight and MD (27, 29, 37) and seven studies found inverse associations between childhood body size and MD (23–26, 33–35), with the remainder of the studies observing mostly null associations. Only a few studies have simultaneously assessed birthweight, childhood growth and early life SES in relation to MD (23, 24), and none has used prospective data on all of these factors.…”

Breast composition: Measurement and clinical use

“…61,62 Anthropometric factors such as high birth weight and lower prepubertal weight are associated with higher breast density. 63 The data produced shows that breast density information can be used in combination with other risk factors for stratification of breast cancer risk. Barlow et al 27 have shown an improvement in breast cancer risk prediction model with addition of breast density data.…”