Preliminary investigation of mammographic density among women in Riyadh: association with breast cancer risk factors and implications for screening practices

Abstract

Purpose: Improved mammographic sensitivity is associated with reduced mammographic density. This study aims to: provide a preliminary report on mammographic density among women in Riyadh; identify risk factors associated with mammographic density; and consider the potential implications for screening practices. Methods: Based on a cross-sectional design, we examined a total of 792 women using an area-based mammographic density method (LIBRA). Spearman's correlation, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis and binary logistic regression were used for analyses. Results: The study population had a mean age of 49.6 years and a high proportion of participants were overweight or obese (90%). A large number of women had low mammographic density, with a mean dense breast area of 19.1 cm 2 and percent density of 10.3 cm 2 . Slightly more than half of the variations in the dense breast area and percent density models were explained by BMI. In the adjusted analyses, BMI, menopausal status, age at menarche and number of children remained statistically significant predictors. Conclusion: Given the high proportion of women with low mammographic density, our findings suggest that women living in Riyadh may not require additional imaging strategies beyond mammography to detect breast cancers. The high proportion of obese women reported here and across Saudi Arabia suggests that mammographic density is less likely to have an adverse impact on mammographic sensitivity. Thus and to improve clinical outcomes among Saudi women, annual mammography and commencing screening at a younger age are suggested. Additional studies are required to shed further light on our findings.