Women with dense breasts, but no other risk factors for breast cancer, are considered to have a higher risk of breast cancer than average. Having dense breasts is an independent risk factor for developing breast cancer, Dr. Musser explains. Its not clear why some women have a lot of dense breast tissue and others do not. Having dense breasts is something to discuss with your healthcare provider. False-positive results can cause substantial stress and anxiety. Breast calcifications are small deposits of calcium that can appear in the breast tissue. 2016;164:ITC81. This is why screenings are so important. Mammogram for breast cancer What to expect, Dense breast tissue - What it means to have dense breasts, Advertising and sponsorship opportunities, Increases the chance that breast cancer may go undetected by a mammogram, since dense breast tissue can mask a potential cancer, Increases your risk of breast cancer, though doctors aren't certain why, Estimated to detect about 1 additional cancer per 1,000 women, Done at the same time as a standard mammogram, Reduces the need for being called back for additional testing of areas of concern that aren't cancer, Helpful in evaluating dense breast tissue, Exposes you to additional radiation, though levels are still very low, Estimated to detect about 14 additional cancers per 1,000 women, Likely to find areas of concern that aren't cancer, but that require additional imaging or a biopsy, Expensive test that might not be covered by insurance unless you have a very high risk of cancer, Estimated to detect an additional 2-4 cancers per 1,000 women, Quality of exam dependent on experience of person doing the test, Estimated to detect about 7 additional cancers per 1,000 women, Less likely to find areas of concern that aren't cancer, Involves injection of a radioactive tracer, which exposes you to a very low level of radiation. Only a radiologist looking at a mammogram can tell if a woman has dense breasts. Want to use this content on your website or other digital platform? This can help tone up the tissues in your breast and lead to firmer breasts. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight lossfrom exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. It is also possible that a doctor might diagnose a particularly dense area of tissue as a tumor, then find in later scans that it is an area with increased density. Estimates vary, but a 2011 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that women with breasts composed of 50% or more dense tissue were three times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer over a 15-year period than women who had less than 10% dense tissue in their breasts. Unfortunately, high breast density does increase a womans chance of breast cancer. For younger women with dense breasts, the advantage of DBT was even greater: 2.27 more cancers were found for every 1,000 women screened. Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. Women diagnosed with dense breasts should continue to get regular screening mammograms. Guidelines recommend no more than one drink per day for most women. Despite concerns about detecting cancer in dense breasts, mammograms are still effective screening tools. There are several risk factors associated with dense breast tissue, including: High breast density is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. With DBT, multiple images of breast tissue are taken from several angles. WebYou may be more likely to have dense breasts if you: Are younger Breast tissue tends to become less dense as you age, though some women may have dense breast tissue Breast density can also change over time. Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. You may be more likely to have dense breasts if you: Having dense breasts affects you in two ways: Most medical organizations recommend women with an average risk of breast cancer consider regular mammogram testing beginning at age 40 and consider repeating the screening annually. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness, is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Don't miss your FREE gift. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of the breast and can help a radiologist determine whether a lump is solid or fluid filled. My liver enzymes are elevated Now what? Talk to your doctor about your personal risk of getting breast cancer. Just how effective are antidepressants, anyway? However, other studies have shown that the link between breast density and breast cancer risk, in general, is strong independent of this masking effect. Evidence suggests that breast density is Dense breasts are sometimes called mammographically dense breasts. Some images were created prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and may not demonstrate proper pandemic protocols. Are there certain patterns or areas of dense breast tissue that are particularly risky? Accessed Feb. 6, 2018. Dense breast tissue refers to the amount of fibroglandular and fibrous connective tissue thats present within your breast as compared to fatty tissue. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised. CDC twenty four seven. Should women with high density be screened at a younger age, more often, or using different technology? Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 |, Important Updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event. Molecular breast imaging (MBI). That's because dense breast tissue and some abnormal breast changes, such as calcifications and tumors, both appear as white areas in the mammogram, whereas fatty tissue appears as dark areas. These features are more common in younger women's breasts, but they are also found in many older women, especially those taking combined hormone therapy (estrogen and progestin). Want to reduce your risk of dementia? Breast density can change throughout your life. Your radiologist may also want to obtain more images using a different method. Dr. Jones: Oh, good. Saving Lives, Protecting People, Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions, Dense Breast Tissue: What It Means to Have Dense Breasts, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Learn more. Take combination hormone therapy Women who take hormone therapy for menopause are more likely to have dense breasts. Besides talking to your provider about additional imaging, you can: If you have dense breasts, it means a radiologist may have a harder time detecting cancer on your mammogram. Shift work can harm sleep and health: What helps? Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. D'Orsi CJ, et al. 2016;23:3119. However, it increases the chance that breast cancer will not be found on a mammogram. One of the strongest known risk factors for breast cancer is high breast density that is, relatively little fat in the breast and more connective and glandular tissue, as seen on a mammogram. Subscribe now for answers to questions like these! Doctors will use four categories to rank breast tissue density: Although a doctor may separate breast tissue into these four categories, there are no set criteria for ranking breast tissue density. About 1 in 10 women has this result. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 21, 2018. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. About 40% of these women have heterogeneously dense breast tissue and about BONUS! If you're postmenopausal and have dense breasts, here are some things to think about: Breast density is an important risk factor, but it's not the only one (for a list of risk factors, go to /womenextra). "Some sports bras are like body armorthey hold the breasts so well there is no movement at all." The four categories are: If your breast tissue is mostly fatty (A) or scattered fibroglandular (B): You have low breast density, and cancer is more likely to be visible on a mammogram. Right now, we have a risk factor without a plan to manage it, says Dr. Kathryn M. Rexrode, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Womens Health at Brigham and Womens Hospital. Roth Port lives in South Florida with her husband, two children, and two dogs. Having dense breasts is common, with about 50 percent of those who get mammograms showing dense breast tissue. Women in the second two categories are said to have high-density or dense breasts. Its important to note that if women with dense breasts are diagnosed with breast cancer, they are not at higher risk of dying from breast cancer, compared to women without dense breasts. Further research is needed to Breast cancer is a common type of cancer that affects women and people AFAB. Pruthi S (expert opinion). If your report told you that you have dense breasts, youre far from alone, because about 50% of women in the U.S. who have screening mammograms are diagnosed with dense breasts. Speak with your healthcare provider about your breast density after your mammogram. How can I stop getting so many yeast infections? CISNET is a consortium of NCI-sponsored investigators conducting simulation modeling to improve our understanding of the impact of prevention, screening, and treatment on population trends in incidence and mortality. Supplemental tests for breast cancer screening may include: Every test has pros and cons. Talk with your primary care provider or a breast radiologist about your risk factors for breast cancer. Talk with your doctor or nurse to learn what is recommended for you, based on your personal medical history and family medical history. Infographic: Breast Reconstruction Options. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/mammograms/breast-density-and-your-mammogram-report.html), (https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/dense-breasts.htm), (http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-anatomy). Can simple exercises like stretching and walking have a noticeable impact on my health? In contrast to breast cancer tumors, benign lumps are often squishy. Younger women typically have higher density than older women, and density typically declines after menopause. The breasts are evenly dense throughout (about 40% of women). Women who take menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) tend to have denser breasts than they would if they didnt take MHT. Denser breasts can make cancerous lesions more difficult for doctors to identify. Still, some women continue to have dense breast tissue well into their later years. Ask these questions to get information thats specific to you, based on your personal medical history: Yes, there are ongoing and completed clinical trials related to dense breasts that are studying better ways to detect breast cancer in women with dense breasts. If youve had a breast cancer screening mammogram, your mammogram report told you about any abnormal findingsmasses, calcifications, or other atypical structurein your breast tissue. The tracer is injected into a vein in your arm and MBI analyzes the way tissues react to the tracer. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Levels of density are described using a reporting system created by the American College of Radiology called Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). Scientists dont know for sure why this is true. Some people have more fibrous than fatty tissue in their breasts. Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic Press, NEW The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic Press, NEW Ending the Opioid Crisis - Mayo Clinic Press, FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic Press, Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic Press. Women in the Thanks for visiting. Your breast is made of glandular, connective and fatty tissue. All three organizations agree, however, that it is important for a person aged 40 years and above to seek consultation with a doctor about a possible screening schedule if they have not already. What biologic mechanisms explain the association between high breast density and increased breast cancer risk? Learn about symptoms and treatment. Different tests may be able to find some cancers that are missed on a mammogram. These changes can cause the breasts to appear smaller, and they WebWatch on. WebEven small breasts are subject to gravityjust not as much. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MHT is also called postmenopausal hormone use and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness, is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Philpotts, L. E. (2018). Dense tissue can hide cancers. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends women get a mammogram every 12 years, starting at age 40, in order to detect possible breast cancer. The four breast density categories are shown in this image. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2017. This content does not have an English version. We link primary sources including studies, scientific references, and statistics within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. Do you recommend additional screening or diagnostic testsfor me? 2023 by The President and Fellows of Harvard College, Do not sell my personal information | Privacy Policy. 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