Breast density may be a key discriminator for selecting the optimal screening strategy for women with a family history of breast cancer

To reduce mortality, women with a family history of breast cancer often start mammography screening at a younger age than the general population. Breast density is high in over 50% of women younger than 50 years. High breast density increases breast cancer incidence, but decreases mammography sensitivity. Personalized breast cancer screening might optimize mortality reduction with less over diagnosis. Breast density may be a key discriminator for selecting the optimal screening strategy for women < 55 years with familial breast cancer risk; mammography or MRI. These issues are addressed in a multi-center randomized controlled trial that includes women with a familial risk for breast cancer: the FaMRIsc study. Further information can be found at www.famrisc.nl

Bibliographic Reference:

• Saadatmand SS et al.: "Breast density as indicator for the use of mammography or MRI to screen women with familial risk for breast cancer (FaMRIsc): a multicentre randomized controlled trial", BMC Cancer. 2012 Oct 2;12(1):440. [Epub ahead of print]

Sepideh Saadatmand

Department of Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands