Breasts that are uneven appearance could be a predictor of breast cancer
Key points
- Women who go on to develop breast cancer tend to have breasts that are less symmetrical than women who don't develop the cancer.
- A study published in Breast Cancer Research reveals that breast asymmetry could be a reliable independent predictor of breast cancer.
- The study found that the relative odds of developing breast cancer increased by 1.5 with each 100ml increase in breast asymmetry.
- Diane Scutt from the University of Liverpool, UK and colleagues studied the mammograms of 252 women who did not have breast cancer at the time of the mammography, but later on developed the disease.
Women who go on to develop breast cancer tend to have breasts that are less symmetrical than women who don't develop the cancer.
A study published in Breast Cancer Research reveals that breast asymmetry could be a reliable independent predictor of breast cancer.
The study found that the relative odds of developing breast cancer increased by 1.5 with each 100ml increase in breast asymmetry.
Diane Scutt from the University of Liverpool, UK and colleagues studied the mammograms of 252 women who did not have breast cancer at the time of the mammography, but later on developed the disease. The control group consisted of 252 women matched for age who underwent mammography at the same time, but did not develop breast cancer.
Scutt et al.'s results show that, at the time the mammography was done, women who went on to develop breast cancer had higher breast volume asymmetry than controls. The authors found that the relative odds of breast cancer increased by 1.5 for a 100ml increase in absolute breast volume asymmetry, after adjusting for other potential risk factors. They conclude that breast asymmetry is a significant independent predictor of breast cancer, and could be a reliable indicator of future breast disease.
http://breast-cancer-research.com/
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Cancer →
NewsNonrecommended screenings for prostate, breast cancer in older individuals
An estimated 15.7 percent of individuals 65 or older may have received nonrecommended screenings for prostate and breast cancers because they had limited life expectancies of less than 10 years, according to an article…
22 January 2016
GuideNew method for better treatment of breast cancer
A new study shows that a novel imaging-based method for defining appropriateness of breast cancer treatment is as accurate as the current standard-of-care and could reduce the need for invasive tissue sampling. The…
31 December 2015
NewsT cells that recognize HER2 teceptor may prevent HER2+ breast cancer recurrence
Recurrence of HER2-positive breast cancer after treatment may be due to a specific and possibly cancer-induced weakness in the patient's immune system - a weakness that in principle could be corrected with a…
