Purpose
Breast density is known to be significant predictor of breast cancer risk,
with studies reporting up to a 6-fold increase in the risk of developing cancer in women with very dense breasts compared to women with very fatty breasts [1-3].
In addition to single timepoint assessments of breast density,
studies have now suggested that abnormal changes in breast density over time could also be associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer [4,
5]. As an example,
Vachon et al (2010) found that breast...
Methods and Materials
Digital mammography: For Processing and For Presentation data
Digital mammography generates two types of images.
The “For Processing” (Raw) images are acquired from the imaging sensor when a mammogram is taken and the pixel value is related directly to x-ray attenuation.
The “For Presentation” (Processed) images are generated using each manufacturer’s own proprietary processing algorithms,
which essentially enhance the features of the raw mammogram (e.g.
contrast) for easier viewing by radiologists but lose any quantitative data associated with the raw image.
In this paper,
we...
Results
Volpara™ generates consistent results across different x-ray vendors
We observed consistent volumetric breast density measurements,
as determined by Volpara™,
from mammograms taken on the same woman using different x-ray systems (see Figure 1).
A 0.940 and 0.974 correlation was observed using Volpara™ on the Hologic and GE,
and Fuji CR and Fuji DR datasets,
respectively.
Given that the images were taken at different timepoints,
some genuine variation should be expected.
Volpara™ generated density maps
The density maps generated by Volpara™ provided us with an excellent...
Conclusion
Our results demonstrated a high level of agreement between sequential mammograms taken on Hologic and GE,
or Fuji CR and Fuji DR systems using Volpara™ and support the use of the software for determining temporal changes in breast density
Density maps generated from the “For Processing” images standardizes the mammograms from different vendors,
allowing for a better judgement of temporal changes.
A comparison of our temporal density map movie with the movie using the “For Presentation” mammograms emphasizes how important it is to normalize the...
References
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Mammographic density and the risk of detection of breast cancer.
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Mandelson MT,
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Porter PL,
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Breast density as a predictor of mammographic detection: comparison of interval- and screen-detected cancers.
J Natl Cancer Inst 2000; 92:1081-7.
McCormack VA and dos Santos S.
Breast density and parenchymal patterns as markers of breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006; 15:1159-1169.
Kerlikowske K,
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Miglioretti DL,
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