Factors influencing breast density in Japanese women aged 40-49 in breast cancer screening mammography

A relatively large number of women in their 40s with high-density breasts, in which it can be difficult to detect lesions, are encountered in mammography cancer screenings in Japan. Here, we retrospectively investigated factors related to breast density. Two hundred women (40-49 years old) were examined at the screening center in our hospital. Multivariate analysis showed that factors such as small abdominal circumference, high HDL cholesterol, and no history of childbirth were related to high breast density in women in their 40s undergoing mammography. Other non-mammographic screening methods should be considered in women with abdominal circumferences <76cm, HDL-C ≥53mg/dl, and no history of childbirth, as there is a strong possibility of these women having high-density breasts that can make lesion detection difficult.