Geographic variation in volumetric breast density between screening regions in the Netherlands.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Differences in breast density between populations may explain part of the variation in regional breast cancer screening performance. This study aimed to determine whether regional differences in breast density distribution are present in the Dutch screening population.

Methods

As part of the DENSE trial, mammographic density was measured using a fully-automated volumetric method. The regions in our study were based on the geographic coverage of 14 reading units representing a large part of the Netherlands. General linear models were used.

Results

Four hundred eighty-five thousand and twenty-one screening participants with a median age of 60 years were included (2013-2014). The proportion of women with heterogeneously or extremely dense breasts ranged from 3

SUBMITTER: van der Waal D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4595533 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature