Validity of computed mean compressed fibroglandular tissue thickness and breast composition for stratification of masking risk in Japanese women

• Published in: Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan) Japan), 2023-07, Vol.30 (4), p.541-551
• Main Authors: Oiwa, Mikinao, Suda, Namiko, Morita, Takako, Takahashi, Yuko, Sato, Yasuyuki, Hayashi, Takako, Kato, Aya, Nishimura, Rieko, Ichihara, Shu, Endo, Tokiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer Research; Mammography; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Original Article; Surgery; Surgical Oncology
• ISSN: 1340-6868; 1880-4233
• DOI: 10.1007/s12282-023-01444-7

Background The volumetric measurement system for mammographic breast density is a high-precision objective method for evaluating the percentage of fibroglandular tissue volume (FG%). Nonetheless, FG% does not precisely correlate with subjective visual estimation (SVE) and shows poor evaluation performance regarding masking risk in patients with comparatively thin compressed breast thickness (CBT), commonly found in Japanese women. We considered that the mean compressed fibroglandular tissue thickness (mCGT), which incorporates the CBT element into the evaluation of breast density, may better predict masking risk. Methods Volumetric measurements and SVEs were performed on mammograms of 108 breast cancer patients from our center. mCGT was calculated as the product of CBT and FG%. SVE was classified using the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System classification, 5th edition. Subsequently, the performance of mCGT, SVE, and FG% in predicting masking risk was estimated using the AUC. Results The AUC values of mCGT and SVE were 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.71–0.92) and 0.78 (0.66–0.86), respectively ( P  = 0.16). The AUC of the FG% was 0.65 (0.52–0.77), which was significantly lower than that of mCGT ( P