In a study published in Cancer Research, researchers confirmed previous findings of heritability in mammographic breast density, and also established heritability of the number of microcalcifications and masses at baseline.1
Given that these features are associated with breast cancer risk and could improve the detection of short-term risk of breast cancer, the authors suggested that further investigation of common loci associated with mammographic features is necessary to better understand the etiology of breast cancer.
“Breast features identified through mammography are important for identifying women at high risk of developing breast cancer in the short term,” Natalie Holowko, PhD, postdoctoral researcher in the department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, said in a press release.2 “It is important to understand the genetic…
