Key clinical point: Microcalcifications and breast density, as assessed by the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4th edition (BI-RADS) were associated with a significantly increased risk for breast cancer (BC).
Major finding: Microcalcification appeared to be a significant risk factor for BC irrespective of breast density (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 3.09; 95% CI 2.83-3.36). Both microcalcification and high breast density (BI-RADS density classification 4) were associated with a 6.65-fold (95% CI 5.59-7.72) higher risk for BC, with the risk being the highest in postmenopausal women with microcalcifications and high breast density (aHR 7.26; 95% CI 5.01-10.53).
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective cohort study including 3,910,815 women who underwent breast cancer screening, of which 58,315 women were diagnosed with BC during a median follow-up of 10.8 years.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and other sources. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Kim S et al. Microcalcifications, mammographic breast density, and risk of breast cancer: A cohort study. Breast Cancer Res. 2022;24:96 (Dec 21). Doi: 10.1186/s13058-022-01594-0