Breast Cancer Risk Assessment through Mammographic Density Measurements
Background
In the United States alone, 30M women undergo mammography every year to detect early stage breast cancer. One of the risk factors to breast cancer is breast density. Numerous studies have proposed that relatively little fat and high level of connective tissue in the breast (higher breast density) increase women's risk of breast cancer in four to six times when comparing women in the same age group.
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Applications
Mammographic density is a strong indicator of breast cancer risk. In order to provide mammographic density as a clinical measure on individual women, we have developed automated algorithms to measure breast density, to compare the individual's measurements against a data bank of 5000 subjects, and to link the measurement to breast cancer risk.
Our large data bank has been complied from subjects undergoing mammography at California Pacific Medical Center. This data bank allows researchers to explore a novel risk factors for breast cancer: breast density.
Breast density quantified from clinical mammograms, or mammographic density (BDMD), is defined as the ratio of dense breast area divided by total breast area as delineated on a mammogram and has a high predictive power to determine who is going to develop breast cancer.
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Advantages
The automated method to quantify breast density was developed using vast amount of data that have been collected in the CPMC Breast Cohort Study. This valuable reference enabled our researchers to develop a more accurate quantifiable measurement of breast density and an algorithm to associate breast density to breast cancer risk. Breast density measures can change the face of breast cancer risk assessment and prevention.
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Intellectual Property
Patent Issued - Additional Patent Applications Pending.
Seeking: Potential Licensees and/or Collaborators.
Dissecting a Hidden Breast Cancer Risk (PDF Article)
www.sciencemag.org
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Technology Reference Number
C-020606
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