Scientists from the University of Utrecht have discovered a new risk factor for breast cancer in women with extremely dense breasts that can be detected using MRI. The research was published in the journal Radiology.
Women with extremely dense breasts are three to six times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with high breast fat. Patients aged 50 to 75 years with dense breasts may be indicated for additional MRI screening, as mammography is less effective in detecting breast cancer at an early stage.
In the new study, researchers used contrast-enhanced MRI scans of 4,553 participants in the DENSE study. Biennial CT scans were performed at eight hospitals in the Netherlands between December 2011 and January 2016.
The researchers found that breast cancer was more common in women with high background contrast agent deposition (BPE). They also developed a deep learning model that automatically identifies BPEs so as not to increase the burden on radiologists. The introduction of this indicator into medical practice will improve the detection of breast cancer at an early stage, when it is more treatable.
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