J Korean Soc Menopause.  2011 Aug;17(2):94-101.

Effects of 3 Years of Hormone Therapy, Raloxifene, and Alendronate on Mammographic Breast Density in Postmenopausal Korean Women

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea. hchoi@paik.ac.kr

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
Breast density is an independent risk factor for the development of invasive breast cancer. We conducted this study to evaluate the effects of 3 years of hormone therapy, raloxifene, and alendronate on mammographic breast density in postmenopausal Korean women.
METHODS
We studied 127 postmenopausal women who had visited the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital between January 2000 and June 2010. These patients were divided into the following 5 groups: alendronate (n = 26); raloxifene (n = 18); estrogen therapy (ET; n = 43); continuous estrogen-progesterone therapy (EPT; n = 20); and cyclic EPT (n = 20). The Breast Image Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) composition grade 1, 2, and 3 years after treatment was compared with the BI-RADS composition grade at baseline.
RESULTS
The BI-RADS grade decreased significantly in the raloxifene group at 1 year (P = 0.04). The BI-RADS grade increased significantly in the ET group at 3 years (P = 0.03), in the continuous EPT at 1, 2, and 3 years (P = 0.01, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively), and in the cyclic EPT group at 2 and 3 years (P = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively). Although not statistically significant, a decrease in the BI-RADS grade occurred in the alendronate group at 1, 2, and 3 years (P = 0.08, 0.1, and 0.1, respectively).
CONCLUSION
This study showed that there was significant decrease in mammographic breast density at 1 year in the raloxifene group and a decreasing trend in the alendronate group, whereas there was significant increase in the ET and EPT groups. To determine the effect of raloxifene and alendronate on breast density, larger prospective studies are needed.

Keyword

Alendronate; Hormone therapy; Mammographic breast density; Menopause; Raloxifene

MeSH Terms

Alendronate
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Estrogens
Female
Gynecology
Humans
Information Systems
Menopause
Obstetrics
Raloxifene Hydrochloride
Risk Factors
Alendronate
Estrogens
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