September 25, 2024, it is World Breast Dense Day.
Mammogram? No one likes to have their chest squeezed like a pancake. But now there’s a new reason to make sure you schedule one.
From September 2024, the The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all mammogram reports to include information about your breast density. This is a big step in the right direction for women’s health. In the United States, 50% of women over 40 have dense breasts, which makes it difficult to detect breast cancer before it spreads.
This new decision keeps women informed, enabling them to discuss additional testing options with their healthcare providers.
Here’s everything you need to know about dense breasts and what to do if your mammogram report says you have them.
What is dense breast?
Breast density is the measurement of fibrous and glandular tissue in your breast compared to fatty tissue. The more fibrous and glandular tissue you have, the harder it will be to spot the cancer on a mammogram.
The amount of density in your breasts can be inherited. Women who have a low body mass index or receive hormone therapy during menopause may have greater breast density.However, as you get older, your breasts may become less dense. Having children can also reduce your breast density.
How do you know if you have dense breasts?
Whether or not you have dense breasts has nothing to do with how big or firm your breasts are. The only way to know if you have dense breasts is to have imaging, such as a mammogram. After your mammogram, a radiologist will look for abnormalities in your breasts and determine what density category your breasts fall into.
The four categories of breast density are:
- Almost entirely fat: Easy to spot masses or other abnormalities.
- Scattered areas of fibroglandular density: Mammogram shows some white areas.
- Heterogeneous dense: Most of the breast is dense, meaning there are more white areas, making it harder to see small masses.
- Extra dense: The breast is so dense that it is difficult to see masses.
If your breasts belong to the first or second category, your breasts is not is considered dense.
If your breasts are heterogeneously dense or extremely dense, then hectare is considered dense.
What will your mammogram report say?
Thanks to the recent FDA ruling, your mammogram report will clearly state “dense” or “non-dense.”
If you do not have dense breasts, your report will say:
“Breast tissue can be either dense or not. Dense tissue makes it more difficult to detect breast cancer on a mammogram and also increases the risk of developing breast cancer. Your breast tissue is not dense. Talk to your health care provider about breast density, breast cancer risks, and your individual situation.”
If you have dense breasts, your report will say:
“Breast tissue can be either dense or not. Dense tissue makes it more difficult to detect breast cancer on a mammogram and also increases the risk of developing breast cancer. Your breast tissue is dense. In some people with dense tissue, imaging tests other than mammography may help find cancers. Talk to your health care provider about breast density, breast cancer risks, and your individual situation.”
The mammogram report sent to your doctor will include an assessment of your breast density using one of the four categories described above.
Does having dense breasts put me at greater risk for cancer?
The short answer is yes. Women and people assigned female at birth who have dense breasts have a higher risk of breast cancer, although it is not clear why.
Black women they are more likely to have extremely dense breasts than white women, which puts them at greater risk of having undetected early-stage breast cancer. Studies show that black women are often diagnosed with breast cancer at a later stage and have a higher mortality rate.
In addition, dense breasts make it difficult for abnormal changes to occur. Glandular tissue and cancerous masses both appear white on a mammogram, making them difficult to distinguish. Unlike dense breasts, fatty tissue appears mostly black on a mammogram, making it easier to define tumors.
What tests are available for women with dense breasts?
If you have dense breasts, you should have a mammogram. Then talk to your doctor about additional tests.
Additional tests for women with dense breasts include:
- 3D mammography: Unlike 2D mammography, this imaging moves around the breast in an arc, allowing the radiologist to see the breast tissue more clearly.
- Breast ultrasound: Using a doppler, this painless test uses sound waves to take pictures of your breasts on the computer. Ultrasounds can take a more detailed look at a suspicious spot that may have been spotted on a mammogram.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This test is used along with a mammogram for women who are at high risk of breast cancer. However, MRIs are not recommended for women with an average risk of breast cancer because they may have false positive results. This can lead to women undergoing further tests and biopsies that are not necessary. To find out if you are at high risk for breast cancer, ask your doctor about the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool.
This educational resource was created with support from Daiichi Sankyo.
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