Anat Segev, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ronit Calderon-Margalit, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Tamar Sella MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Eugene Libson MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Miriam Sklair-Levy MD, Presenter: Research Consultant, Siemens AG

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that Ethiopian-born women have less dense breasts compared with age-matched Israeli-born controls, and to assess the influence of a Western lifestyle on breast composition.

Mammography was performed in a prospective study of 77 Ethiopian women (42 recent and 35 past immigrants to Israel) and 177 randomly selected, age-matched, Israeli-born controls. Breast density was evaluated according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) by two experienced breast imagers in a double-blinded fashion. Density was considered high in images ranked BI-RADS 3-4, and low in BI-RADS 1-2 images. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to estimate the likelihood that immigrants would exhibit high breast density in comparison to the reference group of Israeli-born controls.

Recent Ethiopian immigrants exhibited lower breast density in comparison to Israeli-born controls (crude OR 0.07, 95% CI:0.03-0.17). The odds ratios for high density in the past immigrants group remained very low in comparison to the Israeli-born reference group (0.29, 95% CI: 0.13-0.60), but more than tripled in comparison to that for recent immigrants.

Breast density in Ethiopian-born women who have immigrated to Israel is significantly less dense than that of Israeli-born controls. Past Ethiopian immigrants, who have begun to adopt a Western lifestyle (decreased number of children, change in diet, increased hormone use) have significantly higher breast density than recent immigrants. Since all Ethiopian immigrants are assumed to be drawn from a similar gene pool, and since breast density is known to affect the risk for breast cancer, our results suggest that adoption of a Western lifestyle may increase breast density, and may thus increase the risk for developing breast cancer.

Gain a better understanding of the relationship between breast density, lifestyle, and breast cancer risk

Segev, A, Calderon-Margalit, R, Sella, T, Libson, E, Sklair-Levy, M, Mammographic Breast Density in Recent and Past Ethiopian Immigrants: Is a Western Lifestyle Detrimental to their Health?.  Radiological Society of North America 2007 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2007 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2007/5008530.html