Do pathological parameters differ with regard to breast density and mode of detection in breast cancer? The Malmö Diet and Cancer Study

Our aim was to study how breast density relates to tumor characteristics in breast cancer with emphasis on mode of detection. Among 17,035 women in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study 826 incident cases have been diagnosed (1991–2007). Data on tumor characteristics, mode of detection, and density at diagnosis were collected. Associations between density and tumor characteristics were analyzed using logistic and ordinal logistic regression models yielding OR and 95% CI. Adjustments for age at diagnosis, BMI at baseline, and the mode of detection, were performed. In denser breasts, large tumor size was more frequent (ORadj 1.59 (1.26–2.01)) as was lymph node involvement (ORadj 1.32 (1.00–1.74)). Further, the higher the density, the lower the grade (ORadj 0.73 (0.53–1.02) for having higher grade), in screening-detected invasive breast cancer. Our findings stress the importance of considering the impact of density in mammography image interpretation and the possible associations with tumor aggressiveness.