Research Snapshot: Researchers find association between breastfeeding duration and mammogram measurement that may inform breast cancer risk

A new study led by UF Health Cancer Center member Lusine Yaghjyan, M.D., Ph.D., has found that in postmenopausal women some reproductive factors were associated with a novel measurement of image intensity variation on mammograms that may help predict women at an increased risk of breast cancer. 

Lusine Yaghjyan
Lusine Yaghjyan, M.D., Ph.D.

The study, published recently in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, assessed 3,814 women without cancer from established nationwide study cohorts. The team evaluated the relationship between several reproductive factors and the novel measurement of breast image intensity, called the V-measure. 

The V-measure captures various factors related to breast tissue texture that can provide insight on the risk of breast cancer. Several studies have shown that measurements of texture features in breast tissue are associated with breast cancer risk, independent of percent breast density — a well-established and