Characterizing the interactions between influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses and their implications for epidemic control.

Pathogen-pathogen interactions represent a critical but little-understood feature of infectious disease dynamics. In particular, experimental evidence suggests that influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) compete with each other, such that infection with one confers temporary protection against the other. However, such interactions are challenging to study using common epidemiologic methods.

The Prospective Association between Early Life Growth and Breast Density in Young Adult Women.

Breast density is a strong intermediate endpoint to investigate the association between early-life exposures and breast cancer risk. This study investigates the association between early-life growth and breast density in young adult women measured using Optical Breast Spectroscopy (OBS) and Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). OBS measurements were obtained for 536 female Raine Cohort Study participants at ages 27-28, with 268 completing DXA measurements.

The distribution of breast density in women aged 18 years and older.

Purpose: Age and body mass index (BMI) are critical considerations when assessing individual breast cancer risk, particularly for women with dense breasts. However, age- and BMI-standardized estimates of breast density are not available for screen-aged women, and little is known about the distribution of breast density in women aged < 40. This cross-sectional study uses three different modalities: optical breast spectroscopy (OBS), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and mammography, to describe the distributions of breast density across categories of age and BMI.

The impact of height and weight on rescreening rates within a population-based breast screening program.

Introduction: Women with obesity are at increased risk of post-menopausal breast cancer and less likely to participate in breast screening. This study investigates the impact of asking women their height and weight within a population-based screening program, and the association of BMI with rescreening status.

Methods: Data regarding 666,130 screening events from 318,198 women aged 50-74 attending BreastScreen Western Australia between 2016 and 2021 were used to compare crude and age-standardised rescreening rates over time.

The association between breast arterial calcification and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in an Australian population-based breast cancer case-control study.

Purpose: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Breast arterial calcification (BAC) on mammograms is not associated with breast cancer risk. However, there is increasing evidence supporting its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD).