A woman's breast tissue density is linked to breast cancer, according to a new Australian study published in Cancer Research.
Researchers from the University of Melbourne found a connection between mammographic breast density and breast cancer using mammograms and blood samples from a study of 830 twin pairs between the ages of 30 and 80 and 600 of their sisters (Cancer Research, February 2010, Vol. 70:4, pp. 1449-1458). The women were recruited from the Australian Twin Registry.
Dr. John Hopper, of the university's Center for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic, and Analytic Epidemiology, and colleagues investigated 12 genetic variants known to be associated with breast cancer; the team found two variants linked to breast cancer that also influence mammographic density.
The team plans to continue the research with an international study to identify more genetic variants that are linked to mammographic density and breast cancer.
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