Breast parenchymal patterns in women with bilateral primary breast cancer

Mammograms were obtained from 44 women aged over 30 years with bilateral primary breast cancer, 60 women with unilateral breast cancer, matched for age and menopausal status with the bilateral cases, and 937 normal women, again all aged over 30 years. The mammograms were classified according to Wolfe's criteria. Both groups of cancer patients were found to have a significantly (p < 0.05) greater proportion of pre-menopausal women with the DY type of breast parenchymal pattern compared with the normal pre-menopausal women. No association was found between the P₂ mammographic pattern and breast cancer. The study failed to show any difference in the distribution of mammographic risk categories in women with bilateral disease and those with unilateral cancers only.