Deep Learning Image Analysis of Benign Breast Disease to Identify Subsequent Risk of Breast Cancer

Background: New biomarkers of risk may improve breast cancer (BC) risk prediction. We developed a computational pathology method to segment benign breast disease (BBD) whole slide images into epithelium, fibrous stroma, and fat. We applied our method to the BBD BC nested case-control study within the Nurses' Health Studies to assess whether computer-derived tissue composition or a morphometric signature was associated with subsequent risk of BC. Methods: Tissue segmentation and nuclei detection deep-learning networks were established and applied to 3795 whole slide images from 293 cases who developed BC and 1132 controls who did not. Percentages of each tissue region were calculated, and 615 morphometric features were extracted. Elastic net regression was used to create a BC morphometric signature. Associations between BC risk factors and age-adjusted tissue composition among controls were assessed using analysis of covariance. Unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for the matching factors, BBD histological subtypes, parity, menopausal status, and body mass index evaluated the relationship between tissue composition and BC risk. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results: Among controls, direction of associations between BBD subtypes, parity, and number of births with breast composition varied by tissue region; select regions were associated with childhood body size, body mass index, age of menarche, and menopausal status (all P<.05). A higher proportion of epithelial tissue was associated with increased BC risk (odds ratio=1.39, 95% confidence interval = 0.91 to 2.14, for highest vs lowest quartiles, P-trend=.047). No morphometric signature was associated with BC. Conclusions: The amount of epithelial tissue may be incorporated into risk assessment models to improve BC risk prediction.

Automated summary

A computational pathology method was developed to segment benign breast disease images, showing an association between higher proportion of epithelial tissue and increased breast cancer risk. Associations between BBD subtypes, parity, and number of births with breast tissue composition were observed in controls.