Benign breast diseases are an important indicator of an increased risk of breast cancer

Benign breast diseases are an important indicator of an increased risk of breast cancer

Women diagnosed with benign breast disease through screening are almost twice as likely to have breast cancer, according to a study presented today at the 13th European Breast Cancer Conference.

The study of more than 700,000 Spanish women who underwent breast screening compared women diagnosed with benign breast disease, including fibroadenomas and cysts, with women who were not diagnosed with breast disease.

The increased risk of breast cancer persisted for at least two decades, and researchers say this group of women could benefit from more frequent screenings to ensure that those who develop cancer are diagnosed early, when the chances of survival are best.

The research results were presented to the conference by Dr. Marta Román from Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, ​​Spain, and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It included 778,306 women between the ages of 50 and 69 years who attended breast screening at least once in one of 20 centers in Spain between 1996 and 2015. In Spain, all women in this age group are offered a mammogram for breast examination every two years.

Researchers tracked the women until 2017 and during that time, 17,827 women were diagnosed with benign breast disease, while 11,708 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.

The data showed that among women with benign breast diseases, about 25 in 1,000 were later diagnosed with breast cancer. In women without benign breast disease, about 15 in 1,000 were diagnosed with breast cancer. The increased risk was found in women with benign breast disease, regardless of age, and the risk persisted for at least 20 years; Women followed for less than four years were 99% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and women followed for 12 to 20 years were 96% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.

This is important. It suggests that benign breast disease is a key indicator that a woman is at higher risk of breast cancer, rather than just something that could develop into cancer. In fact, we often find the benign disease in one breast and then cancer develops in the other breast.”

Dr. Marta Roman, Hospital del Mar

"We can use this knowledge, along with our knowledge of other risk factors, to optimize the breast screening we offer to women. For example, if a woman is diagnosed with a benign breast disease and has other high risk factors, such as a family history of breast cancer, she could benefit from more frequent screenings."

The President of the European Breast Cancer Council, Professor David Cameron of the Cancer Research Center at the University of Edinburgh, UK, represents the Council at EBCC13 and was not involved in the research. He said: "Screening can help diagnose breast cancer at an earlier stage when the chances of survival are greater. This large study shows that women in a screening program who are diagnosed with a benign breast disease appear to be at higher risk of being diagnosed with long-term breast cancer and could therefore benefit from increased screening.

"Mammograms quite often show signs of non-cancer breast conditions, such as cysts and fibroadenomas, and it is important to remember that the majority of women with these conditions will not develop breast cancer."

Source:

European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer

Reference:

Román, M., et al. (2022) Long-term risk of breast cancer after diagnosis of benign breast disease by screening mammography. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052625.

.