Mammographic density in relation to breast cancer recurrence and survival in women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE

The association between mammographic density (MD) and breast cancer (BC) recurrence and survival remains unclear. Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) are in a vulnerable situation with the tumor within the breast during treatment. This study evaluated the association between MD and recurrence/survival in BC patients treated with NACT.

METHODS

Patients with BC treated with NACT in Sweden (2005-2016) were retrospectively included (N=302). Associations between MD (Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 5 Edition) and recurrence-free/BC-specific survival at follow-up (Q1 2022) were addressed. Hazard ratios (HRs) for recurrence/BC-specific survival (BI-RADS a/b/c vs. d) were estimated using Cox regression analysis and adjusted for age, estrogen receptor status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status, axillary lymph node status, tumor size, and complete pathological response.

RESULTS

A total of 86 recurrences and 64 deaths were recorded. The adjusted models showed that patients with BI-RADS d vs. BI-RADS a/b/c had an increased risk of recurrence (HR 1.96 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-3.92)) and an increased risk of BC-specific death (HR 2.94 (95% CI 1.43-6.06)).

CONCLUSION

These findings raise questions regarding personalized follow-up for BC patients with extremely dense breasts (BI-RADS d) pre-NACT. More extensive studies are required to confirm our findings.