University of Hawai'i University Relations Media & Publications Honolulu, HI 96822	(808) 956-8856 Telephone (808) 956-3441 Facsimile ur@hawaii.edu E-Mail
For Immediate Release:	July 30, 1997
Contact: Gertraud Maskarinec, (808)586-3078 Cheryl Ernst, (808) 956-5941

Breast Density: A New Clue to Breast Cancer Risk? A University of Hawai'i cancer researcher is investigating whether differences in breast density among women from various ethnic groups may be linked to their risk of developing breast cancer. The human breast is composed of epithelial and connective tissue and fat. The proportions of breast tissue and fat vary between individuals and over a person's lifetime, explains Gertraud Maskarinec, assistant researcher at the University's Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i. The difference in composition-some women have hardly any epithelial and connective tissue, some have a great deal-is evident on mammograms, where the breast tissue shows up as shady or dotted white areas and fat appears black. Some researchers have speculated that the amount of tissue, or density, may correlate to cancer risk, since it is tissue cells that become cancerous. Maskarinec will look back at the past mammograms of women to gauge the amount and proportion of tissue in their breasts. She will then compare the densities by ethnic group and medical history (i.e. whether the women did or did not develop breast cancer). Results could help explain the difference in cancer rates between ethnic groups. "Ultimately, we'd like to be able to examine a normal mammogram and be able to say something about a woman's risk of developing cancer in the future," says Maskarinec. The one-year, $41,000 study is funded by the Hawai'i Community Foundation. In a related research project-"Ethnicity, Soybean Consumption and Mammographic Densities"- Maskarinec is investigating dietary factors that may be related to the appearance of healthy mammograms. Women who undergo mammography screening are currently recruited at four clinics in Honolulu. The study is being funded by a $149,796 grant through the Department of the Army.

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