We have previously shown that a low-fat dietary intervention for 2 years in women with extensive mammographic density decreased
mammographic density to a greater extent than in the control group. Post-hoc analysis indicated that this effect was strongest
in women who became postmenopausal during the follow-up period. The purpose of the present study was to determine if this
potentially important finding could be confirmed in a new and larger group of subjects with a longer follow-up time. Participants
in a low-fat dietary intervention trial who were premenopausal at entry and became postmenopausal during follow-up were examined.
Total breast, dense, and non-dense area and percent density were measured in baseline and postmenopause mammograms using a
computer-assisted method. Total breast and non dense area increased more in the control group compared to the intervention
group (for breast area 2.6 and 0.2 cm
2, respectively;
P = 0.05, and for non-dense area 10.9 and 8.1 cm
2, respectively;
P = 0.06). Dense area decreased to a similar degree in both groups (−8.2 and −8.0 cm
2, respectively;
P = 0.84). Percent density decreased to a slightly greater degree in the control compared to intervention group (−9.4 and −7.8%,
respectively,
P = 0.11). There were no significant differences between study groups after adjustment for weight change. Menopause reduced
density to a similar extent in the low-fat diet and control groups. If a low-fat diet reduces breast cancer risk, the effect
is unlikely to be through changes in mammographic density at menopause.
Keywords Breast cancer - Dietary fat - Low-fat diet - Mammographic density - Menopause