J Korean Med Sci.  2016 Mar;31(3):457-462. 10.3346/jkms.2016.31.3.457.

Mammographic Breast Density Evaluation in Korean Women Using Fully Automated Volumetric Assessment

• Youn I
• Choi S
• Kook SH
• Choi YJ

• KMID: 2363509
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2016.31.3.457

Abstract

The purpose was to present mean breast density of Korean women according to age using fully automated volumetric assessment. This study included 5,967 screening normal or benign mammograms (mean age, 46.2 +/- 9.7; range, 30-89 years), from cancer-screening program. We evaluated mean fibroglandular tissue volume, breast tissue volume, volumetric breast density (VBD), and the results were 53.7 +/- 30.8 cm3, 383.8 +/- 205.2 cm3, and 15.8% +/- 7.3%. The frequency of dense breasts and mean VBD by age group were 94.3% and 19.1% +/- 6.7% for the 30s (n = 1,484), 91.4% and 17.2% +/- 6.8% for the 40s (n = 2,706), 72.2% and 12.4% +/- 6.2% for the 50s (n = 1,138), 44.0% and 8.6% +/- 4.3% for the 60s (n = 89), 39.1% and 8.0% +/- 3.8% for the 70s (n = 138), and 39.1% and 8.0% +/- 3.5% for the 80s (n = 12). The frequency of dense breasts was higher in younger women (n = 4,313, 92.3%) than older women (n = 1,654, 59.8%). Mean VBD decreased with aging or menopause, and was about 16% for 46-year-old-Korean women, much higher than in other countries. The proportion of dense breasts sharply decreases in Korean women between 40 and 69 years of age.

Keyword

Mammographic Density; Breast; Korea; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Mammography

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Automation
Breast/*diagnostic imaging
Breast Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
*Mammography
Menopause
Middle Aged
Republic of Korea

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Correlations of mean fibroglandular tissue volume (FTV), breast tissue volume (BTV), and volumetric breast density (VBD). (A) Correlation of FTV and VBD. (B) Correlation of BTV and VBD. (C) Correlation of BTV and FTV.

• 

  Fig. 2 Distribution of breast density by age group of Korean women.

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  Fig. 3 Composition of the Volpara Density Grade (VDG) in Korean women younger than 50 years and women older than 50 years.

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  Fig. 4 Comparison of mammographic parenchymal density according to age. (A) Mammographic parenchymal density difference between current Korean women of our study and Western women*. (B) Chronological changes of mammographic parenchymal density in Korean women: comparison of previous† (1998) and current (2014, our study) women. * Data from Stomper et al. (20) in 1996. † Data from Kim et al. (13) in 2000.

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