Why It Matters If You Have ‘Dense’ Breast Tissue

Photo: Chompoo Suriyo (Shutterstock)

The FDA announced that a caller regularisation volition require mammogram facilities to notify patients astir the density of their breasts. Thirty-eight states (and D.C.) already have immoderate benignant of notification requirement, but this volition marque the messaging accordant nationwide and volition bring these notices to states wherever they are not presently required.

What is “dense” bosom tissue?

Breasts incorporate fat, glandular tissue, and connective tissue. On a mammogram, abdominous appears arsenic acheronian areas, and the different insubstantial types thin to look arsenic achromatic areas.

This matters due to the fact that tumors and calcifications also look successful white, which means a mammogram is easier to work connected a idiosyncratic whose bosom insubstantial is little dense. The National Cancer Institute has images here of the 4 antithetic categories of bosom density. Breasts that are “fatty” oregon that lone person “scattered” areas of denser insubstantial look darker. Breasts that are “heterogeneously dense” oregon “extremely dense” person much of the achromatic areas. If you’re told you person dense bosom tissue, you autumn into 1 of these past 2 categories.

Who has dense bosom tissue?

Dense bosom insubstantial is common; the FDA estimates that “almost half” of women implicit 40 person dense breasts. You whitethorn beryllium much apt to person dense breasts if you person utilized hormone therapy for menopause, oregon if you person a little assemblage wide index.

People who are older oregon who person had children are little apt to person dense breasts. But your chances of having dense breasts are besides apt inherited; immoderate radical conscionable person denser insubstantial than others.

Is it atrocious to person dense bosom tissue?

Dense insubstantial isn’t atrocious by itself, but determination are 2 reasons wherefore it’s considered important to cognize whether you person it oregon not. One is that mammograms are little apt to prime up aboriginal signs of cancer, due to the fact that it’s hard to archer mean dense insubstantial isolated from tumors oregon calcifications.

The different is that bosom crab seems to beryllium somewhat much communal successful radical with dense breasts. We aren’t definite why. That said, it seems that having dense breasts does not marque you immoderate much apt to dice of bosom cancer.

What happens if I americium told I person dense bosom tissue?

This is the tricky part. We don’t yet person capable grounds to accidental whether radical with dense bosom insubstantial should spell connected to get much oregon antithetic kinds of screening, oregon if it’s good to spell up with the mean screening docket and not bash other tests.

Ultimately, it should beryllium up to you and your doctor, experts say. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force declined to marque a recommendation, saying that “the existent grounds is insufficient” to decently measurement the harms and benefits of bosom ultrasound, MRI, oregon different exertion called integer bosom tomosynthesis successful radical who person dense breasts.

The benefits of other imaging mightiness see detecting crab earlier, but the downsides mightiness see getting sent for biopsies oregon further procedures that you don’t need. Insurance doesn’t ever screen other imaging if you’re getting it done due to the fact that you person dense breasts.

Whether you determine to get other screenings volition beryllium connected things similar your hazard for bosom crab and your idiosyncratic preferences—some radical would alternatively err connected the broadside of caution, portion others mightiness consciousness much powerfully astir avoiding unnecessary procedures. Your doc tin assistance you recognize your hazard and speech to you astir the pros and cons of other screening.