Summary
A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate associations among mammographic normal dense and fatty tissue, benign histologic findings, and cellular proliferative activity determined by DNA S phase percentages. Mammographic and histologic findings of benign, normal dense and fatty tissue contained in 100 excised specimens were cross-tabulated with flow cytometric DNA S phase percentages of needle aspirates obtained under radiographic guidance.
Histologic evidence of atypia or hyperplasia was present in 21 (32%) of 66 fatty tissue samples and 11 (32%) of 34 dense tissue samples (p = NS). The median S phase percentages were identical for mammographic fatty and dense tissue (median % S phase = 5.35). The frequency of high S phase percentages (above the median) was not significantly different for tissue containing atypia or hyperplasia, 47% (15 of 32), as compared to tissue containing other benign histology, 52% (35 of 68) (p = NS). These frequencies were similar in women 49 and younger or 50 and older.
These data show that mammographic normal dense and fatty tissues contain similar frequencies of histologic atypia or hyperplasia and low and high cellular proliferative activity determined by DNA S phase percentages in women aged 49 and younger and 50 and older.
References
Wellings SR, Wolfe JN: Correlative studies of the histological and radiographic appearance of the breast parenchyma. Radiology 129: 299–306, 1978
Fisher ER, Palekar A, Kim WS, Redmond C: The histopathology of mammographic patterns. Am J Clin Pathol 69: 421–426, 1978
Stomper PC, Stewart CC, Penetrante RB, Nava MER, Tsangaris TN: Flow cytometric DNA analysis of excised breast lesions: Use of fresh tissue needle aspirates obtained under guidance with mammography of the specimen. Radiology 185: 415–422, 1992
Page DL, Anderson TJ: Diagnostic histopathology of the breast. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1987, pp. 137–145
Page DL, Vander Zwaag R, Rogers LW, Williams LT, Walker WE, Hartmann WH: Relation between component parts of fibrocystic disease complex and breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 61: 1055–1063, 1978
Fleiss JL: Statistical methods for rates and proportions, 2nd edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1981, pp. 20–27
Wolfe JN: Risk for breast cancer development determined by mammographic parenchymal pattern. Cancer 37: 2486–2492, 1976
Boyd NF, O'Sullivan B, Fishell E, Simor I, Cooke G: Mammographic patterns and breast cancer risk: Methodologic standards and contradictory results. JNCI 72: 1253–1259, 1984
Brisson J, Morrison AS, Kopans DB, Sadowsky NL, Kalisher L, Twaddle JA, Meyer JE, Henschke CI, Cole P: Height and weight, mammographic features of breast tissue, and breast cancer risk. Am J Epidemiol 119: 371–381, 1984
Brisson J, Morrison AS, Khalid N: Mammographic parenchymal features and breast cancer in the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project. JNCI 80: 1534–1540, 1988
Saftlas AF, Wolfe JN, Hoover RN, Brinton LA, Schairer C, Salane M, Szklo M: Mammographic parenchymal patterns as indicators of breast cancer risk. Am J Epidemiol 129: 518–526, 1989
Tabar L, Dean PB: Mammographic parenchymal patterns. Risk indicator for breast cancer? JAMA 247: 185–189, 1982
de Waard F, Rombach JJ, Collette HJA, Stotboom B: Breast cancer risk associated with reproductive factors and breast parenchymal patterns. J Natl Cancer Inst 72: 1277–1282, 1984
Page DL, Winfield AC: The dense mammogram. AJR 147: 487–489, 1986
Stomper PC, Cholewinski SP, Penetrante RB, Harlos JP, Tsangaris TN: Atypical hyperplasia: Frequency and mammographic and pathologic relationships in excisional biopsies guided with mammography and clinical examination. Radiology 189: 667–671, 1993
Dupont WD, Parl FF, Hartmann WH, Brinton LA, Winfield AC, Worrell JA, Schuyler PA, Plummer WD: Breast cancer risk associated with proliferative breast disease and atypical hyperplasia. Cancer 71: 1258–1265, 1993
Hedley DW, Rugg CA, Gelber RD: Association of DNA index and S-phase fraction with prognosis of node positive early breast cancer. Cancer Res 47: 4729–4735, 1987
Kallioniemi OP, Blanco G, Alavaikko M, Hietanen T, Mattila J, Lauslahti K, Lehtinen M, Koivula T: Improving the prognostic value of DNA flow cytometry in breast cancer by combining DNA index and S-phase fraction. Cancer 62: 2183–2190, 1988
Dressler LG, Gray R, Tormey DCet al.: Prediction of recurrence and therapy response in the node negative breast cancer patient by DNA flow cytometry: An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) intergroup study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 14: 133–187, 1989
Winchester DJ, Duda RB, August CZ, Goldschmidt RA, Wruck DM, Rademaker AW, Winchester DP, Merkel DE: The importance of DNA flow cytometry in node-negative breast cancer. Arch Surg 125: 886–889, 1990
Fisher B, Gunduz N, Costantino J, Fisher ER, Redmond C, Mamounas EP, Siderits R: DNA flow cytometric analysis of primary operable breast cancer. Cancer 68: 1465–1475, 1991
Hatschek T, Gröntoft O, Fagerberg G, Stal O, Sullivan S, Carstensen J, Nordenskjold B: Cytometric and histopathologic features of tumors detected in a randomized mammography screening program: Correlation and relative prognostic influence. Breast Cancer Res Treat 15: 149–160, 1990
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stomper, P.C., Penetrante, R.B., Edge, S.B. et al. Cellular proliferative activity of mammographic normal dense and fatty tissue determined by DNA S phase percentage. Breast Cancer Res Tr 37, 229–236 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806504
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806504