临床上，乳腺片密度是乳腺癌危险的重要标志物之一。乳腺片密度的增加，女性罹患乳腺癌的风险易增加。虽然多年来，乳腺片密度对乳腺癌的作用被熟知，但至于哪些参数会影响乳腺片密度至今仍不甚明了。
最近，乳腺癌研究和治疗杂志刊登的一项新研究着重分析了哪些参数会对乳腺片密度造成影响。重点考察了女性在经历某些胎儿出生时期和婴儿时期，哪些参数影响了乳腺片的密度。
该研究共纳入3,574名年龄在45至68岁之间的女性，研究结果显示39岁以上的高龄产妇以及青春期前高瘦的成年女性在乳腺片密度上较高。研究发现乳腺片密度在75%或以上的女性在罹患乳腺癌的风险上是乳腺片密度低的女性的5倍。
研究人员解释：女性持续暴露在激素以及各种生长因子的环境下，乳腺组织会出现病理状态的乳腺组织，增加患乳腺癌几率。
该篇论文的作者表示：女性生育第一个孩子的年龄以及生育孩子的数量等因素都会干预乳腺片的密度大小，影响女性罹患乳腺癌的风险。(生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1007/s10549-011-1664-2
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Childhood factors associated with mammographic density in adult women
Virginia Lope, Beatriz Pérez-Gómez, María Pilar Moreno, Carmen Vidal, Dolores Salas-Trejo, Nieves Ascunce, Isabel González Román, Carmen Sánchez-Contador, María Carmen Santamaria and Jose Antonio Vázquez Carrete, et al.
Growth and development factors could contribute to the development of breast cancer associated with an increase in mammographic density. This study examines the influence of certain childhood-related, socio-demographic and anthropometric variables on mammographic density in adult woman. The study covered 3574 women aged 45–68 years, participating in breast cancer-screening programmes in seven Spanish cities. Based on a craniocaudal mammogram, blind, anonymous measurement of mammographic density was made by a single radiologist, using Boyd’s semiquantitative scale. Data associated with the early stages of life were obtained from a direct survey. Ordinal logistic regression and generalised linear models were employed to estimate the association between mammographic density and the variables covered by the questionnaire. Screening programme was introduced as a random effects term. Age, number of children, body mass index (BMI) and other childhood-related variables were used as adjustment variables, and stratified by menopausal status. A total of 811 women (23%) presented mammographic density of over 50%, and 5% of densities exceeded 75%. Our results show a greater prevalence of high mammographic density in women with low prepubertal weight (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.02–1.36); marked prepubertal height (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.97–1.60) and advanced age of their mothers at their birth (>39 years: OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.03–1.60); and a lower prevalence of high mammographic density in women with higher prepubertal weight, low birth weight and earlier menarche. The influence of these early-life factors may be explained by greater exposure to hormones and growth factors during the development of the breast gland, when breast tissue would be particularly susceptible to proliferative and carcinogenic stimulus.
