Exposure to natural vegetation in relation to mammographic density in a Massachusetts-based clinical cohort

Abstract

Background: Inverse associations between natural vegetation exposure (i.e., greenness) and breast cancer risk have been reported; however, it remains unknown whether greenness affects breast tissue development or operates through other mechanisms (e.g., body mass index [BMI] or physical activity). We examined the association between greenness and mammographic density—a strong breast cancer risk factor—to determine whether greenness influences breast tissue composition independent of lifestyle factors. Methods: Women (n = 2,318) without a history of breast cancer underwent mammographic screening at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, from 2006 to 2014. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) satellite data at 1-km 2 resolution were used to estimate greenness at participants’ residential address 1, 3, and 5 years before mammogram. We used multivariable linear regression to estimate differences in log-transformed volumetric mammographic density measures and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each 0.1 unit increase in NDVI. Results: Five-year annual average NDVI was not associated with percent mammographic density in premenopausal (β = –0.01; 95% CI = –0.03, 0.02; P = 0.58) and postmenopausal women (β = –0.02; 95% CI = –0.04, 0.01; P = 0.18). Results were similar for 1-year and 3-year NDVI measures and in models including potential mediators of BMI and physical activity. There were also no associations between greenness and dense volume and nondense volume. Conclusions: Greenness exposures were not associated with mammographic density. Impact: Prior observations of a protective association between greenness and breast cancer may not be driven by differences in breast tissue composition, as measured by mammographic density, but rather other mechanisms.

Impact of age, race, and family history on COVID-19–related changes in breast cancer screening among the Boston mammography cohort study

“…In this cohort study, we examined utilization of breast cancer screening and diagnostic imagining among participants in BMCS 20 . BMCS includes women who were enrolled prior to a routine screening mammogram visit within the Mass General Brigham healthcare system (MGB) between 2006-2014 (N=2,821).…”