Volpara promotes study on stratifying breast cancer risk

Breast imaging software developer Volpara Solutions is highlighting a study published online May 11 in the Journal of Breast Imaging that combined the company's VolparaDensity software with a breast density risk calculator to improve breast cancer risk stratification.

The group, led by senior author Dr. Jennifer Harvey from the University of Virginia, used the Tyrer-Cuzick evaluation tool to calculate breast density risk for 474 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. The tool relies on volumetric breast density measurements acquired using VolparaDensity software, among other sources.

The researchers discovered that the addition of breast density measures to traditional risk factors improved patient risk stratification and helped correctly categorize more women at high and low risk of breast cancer than standard methods alone. They concluded that breast density measurements from software such as VolparaDensity could facilitate risk-adapted breast cancer screening and prevention strategies.

"Breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer, and ... contributes as much information as all other factors combined, nearly doubling the predictive value of the risk model," co-author Jack Cuzick, PhD, from the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in the U.K. said in a statement from Volpara. "Screening programs need to take this into consideration in order to develop a personalized breast care plan for each woman."