Breast Mammogram and Tissue Study
Summary
Background:
Women whose mammograms show a lot of dense areas are more likely to develop breast cancer and to have cancers that are missed by mammograms.
It is unclear why some factors lead to having dense breasts and why having dense breasts increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
Objectives:
To determine why some women's breasts look dense on mammograms.
To determine what types of cells and tissues make up dense areas of breasts and why these tissues may be more likely to become cancerous.
Eligibility:
Women between 40 and 65 years of age who have not had breast cancer or received medicines or radiation for any type of cancer and who are scheduled to undergo a breast biopsy.
Design:
This study is conducted at the University of Vermont, in collaboration with the NCI.
Participants undergo the following:
- Review of their medical records collected over the last 2 years by the Vermont Mammography Registry.
- Participation in a short telephone interview.
- Height and weight measurement.
- Testing of biopsy tissue collected for diagnosis or treatment.
- Future contacts regarding health status for up to 10 years, including review of additional mammograms, removed tissues, questionnaires and medical records collected by the Vermont Mammography Registry during the 10-year study.
Participants may also undergo the following optional procedures:
- Provide a mouthwash sample for genetic testing.
- Provide a blood sample to test for markers of dense mammograms or breast cancer.
Description
High breast density and aging are the strongest risk factors for sporadic breast cancer among women. Although glandular epithelium contributes to mammographic density, non-epithelial tissue components represent its major determinants: adipose tissue is radiolucent and fibrous tissue is dense. The hypothesis is that epidemiologic factors associated with elevated breast density alter the breast microenvironment (ME) (defined as all cells and structures surrounding luminal glandular cells including: myoepithelial cells; basement membrane, stromal fibroblast and myofibroblasts; endothelial cells and pericytes; inflammatory cells, collagens, matrix proteins, growth factors, hormones, and other biochemical components) in a manner that enhances dysregulated proliferation of breast epithelium and ultimately cancer. Specifically, the Investigators propose that epidemiologic factors that lead to increased exposure to hormones and inflammatory mediators alter the ME, leading to both increased breast density and cancer. The critical importance of the ME in carcinogenesis is supported by experimental and clinical data showing that epithelial abnormalities alone are generally insufficient for cancer development without concurrent changes in the ME.
The primary aim of this pilot study is to demonstrate the feasibility of collecting the data needed to elucidate the biologic mechanisms that mediate the substantial breast cancer risk associated with high mammographic density. Specifically, the Investigators will develop, fine tune, and validate a complex cross-sectional study protocol to collect risk factor data and biological specimens (blood, buccal cells, tissue fluids, and tissue) required to discover mechanisms and biomarkers that link high mammographic density (as measured quantitatively using computerized methods) to breast cancer risk. They will enroll 250 women between the ages of 40 to 65 years undergoing a radiologically guided biopsy at the University of Vermont, the largest center within the Vermont Breast Cancer Surveillance System (VBCSS), to participate in this pilot study of mammographic density.
Study Design
N/A
Conditions
Cancer
Location
University of Vermont
Burlington
Vermont
United States
05405
Status
Recruiting
Source
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
Results (where available)
Links
- Source: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00475761
- Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on July 15, 2010
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Seer Program
A cancer registry mandated under the National Cancer Act of 1971 to operate and maintain a population-based cancer reporting system, reporting periodically estimates of cancer incidence and mortality in the United States. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program is a continuing project of the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Among its goals, in addition to assembling and reporting cancer statistics, are the monitoring of annual cancer incident trends and the promoting of studies designed to identify factors amenable to cancer control interventions. (From National Cancer Institute, NIH Publication No. 91-3074, October 1990)
Gastric Stump
That portion of the stomach remaining after gastric surgery, usually gastrectomy or gastroenterostomy for cancer of the stomach or peptic ulcer. It is a common site of cancer referred to as stump cancer or carcinoma of the gastric stump.
American Cancer Society
A voluntary organization concerned with the prevention and treatment of cancer through education and research.
Hamartoma Syndrome, Multiple
A hereditary disease characterized by multiple ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal nevoid and neoplastic anomalies. Facial trichilemmomas and papillomatous papules of the oral mucosa are the most characteristic lesions. Individuals with this syndrome have a high risk of BREAST CANCER; THYROID CANCER; and ENDOMETRIAL CANCER. This syndrome is associated with mutations in the gene for PTEN PHOSPHATASE.
Fenretinide
A synthetic retinoid that is used orally as a chemopreventive against prostate cancer and in women at risk of developing contralateral breast cancer. It is also effective as an antineoplastic agent.
Clinical Trials
None
PubMed Articles
Cancer risks after endometrial cancer in mismatch repair mutation carriers.
From nicotine to breast cancer, implications of cholinergic receptor pathway.
Prostate cancer: New types of radiotherapy improve cancer outcome but at what cost?
To screen or not to screen: ongoing debate in the early detection of prostate cancer.
Debate about the use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to screen prostate cancer in men is ongoing. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer after skin cancer in men and the second most deadly...
Depth-predicting score for differentiated early gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND: Intramucosal and minute submucosal (M-SM1;
