A comparison of some anthropometric parameters between an Italian and a UK population: “proof of principle” of a European project using MammoGrid

Warren, R.; Thompson, D.; del Frate, C.; Cordell, M.; Highnam, R.; Tromans, C.; Warsi, I.; Ding, J.; Sala, E.; Estrella, F.; Solomonides, A.E.; Odeh, M.; McClatchey, R.; Bazzocchi, M.; Amendolia, S.R.; Brady, M.

doi:10.1016/j.crad.2007.04.002

« Previous Next »Clinical Radiology
Volume 62, Issue 11 , Pages 1052-1060, November 2007

A comparison of some anthropometric parameters between an Italian and a UK population: “proof of principle” of a European project using MammoGrid

R. Warren
- Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
- Guarantor and correspondent: R. Warren, Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK. Tel.: +44 01223 586959/217627; fax: +44 01223 217886.
D. Thompson
- Cancer Research-UK Genetic Epidemiology Group, University of Cambridge, Strangeway's Research Laboratory, Cambridge, UK
C. del Frate
- Istituto di Radiologia, Universita di Udine, Italy
M. Cordell
- Siemens Molecular Imaging, Oxford, UK
R. Highnam
- Siemens Molecular Imaging, Oxford, UK
C. Tromans
- Department of Engineering Science, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
I. Warsi
- Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
J. Ding
- Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
E. Sala
- Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
F. Estrella
- CCCS Research Centre, University of West of England, Frenchay, Bristol, UK
A.E. Solomonides
- CCCS Research Centre, University of West of England, Frenchay, Bristol, UK
M. Odeh
- CCCS Research Centre, University of West of England, Frenchay, Bristol, UK
R. McClatchey
- CCCS Research Centre, University of West of England, Frenchay, Bristol, UK
M. Bazzocchi
- Istituto di Radiologia, Universita di Udine, Italy
S.R. Amendolia
- ETT Division, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
M. Brady
- Department of Engineering Science, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

Received 21 May 2006; received in revised form 9 February 2007; accepted 3 April 2007.

Aim

To demonstrate the use of grid technology to produce a database of mammograms and supporting patient data, specifically using breast density as a biomarker of risk for breast cancer, for epidemiological purposes.

Method

The cohort comprised 1737 women from the UK and Italy, aged 28–87 years, mean 54.7 years, who underwent mammography after giving consent to the use of their data in the project. Information regarding height, weight, and exposure data (mAs and kV) was recorded. The computer program Generate-SMF was applied to all films in the database to measure breast volume, dense breast volume, and thereby percentage density. Visual readings of density using a six-category classification system were also available for 596 women.

Results

The UK and Italian participants were similar in height, but the UK women were significantly heavier with a slightly higher body mass index (BMI), despite being younger. Both absolute and percentage breast density were significantly higher in the Udine cohort. Images from the medio-lateral projection (MLO) give a significantly lower percentage density than cranio-caudal (CC) images (p<0.0001). Total breast volume is negatively associated with percentage density, as are BMI and age (p<0.0001 for all), although 80% of the variability in percentage density remains unexplained.

Conclusion

The study offers proof of principle that confederated databases generated using Grid technology provide a useful and adaptable environment for large quantities of image, numerical, and qualitative data suitable for epidemiological research using the example of mammographic density as a biomarker of risk for breast cancer.