Dense breast tissue mammogram

Dense breast tissue refers to the appearance of breast tissue on a mammogram. When viewed on a mammogram , women with dense breasts have more dense tissue than fatty tissue. Regular mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early.

But if your mammogram report says that you have dense breast tissue , you may be wondering what that means. What is dense breast tissue ? Very dense breasts may increase the risk that cancer won’t be detected on a mammogram. Research has shown that women with dense breasts can be times more likely to develop breast cancer. Learn more about breast density.

Women with dense breasts are at increased risk of breast cancer, and high breast density is a cause of false-negative on a standard screening mammography. However, from a new study suggest that breast density alone should not dictate whether women should receive additional screening for breast cancer after a normal result on a screening mammogram. Having dense breast tissue is common among many women. You may not know you have dense breast tissue until an X-ray reveals it. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) defines dense breast tissue as having more glandular and fibrous connective tissue, lacking the relative amount of fatty tissue that mammography needs to reveal breast tumors.

About percent of women who have mammograms have dense breast tissue, which can’t be detected by touch, only through a mammogram. The are merely informing you that, like percent of American women, your breast tissue is particularly fibrous. This does, however, make it more difficult for a mammogram to see through the entire breast. Kirtly Parker Jones explains dense breasts in further detail and what alternative screening methods might work the best for you.

If your mammogram demonstrates that you have dense breast tissue , which could hide abnormalities, and you have other risk factors for breast cancer that have been identifie you might benefit from supplemental screening tests that may be suggested by your ordering physician. That tissue appears white on X-rays, the same color as growths in the breast , making mammograms harder to read. This occurrence reduces the accuracy of mammography to detect breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue ( 3). Currently, screening mammography remains the most useful tool for breast cancer detection and consistently.

Scattered fibroglandular tissue refers to the density and composition of your breasts. A woman with scattered fibroglandular breast tissue has breasts made up mostly of non- dense tissue with some. Some mammogram reports sent to women mention breast density. Your health care provider can also tell you if your mammogram shows that you have dense breasts. In some states, women whose mammograms show heterogenously dense or extremely dense breasts must be told that they have dense breasts in the summary of the mammogram report that is sent to patients (sometimes called the lay summary).

A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that allows a doctor to identify potentially cancerous lesions in any dense breast tissue. Doctors will use four categories to rank breast tissue density. Did your physician tell you after your last mammogram that you had dense breast tissue? Forty percent of all women have dense breast tissue.

This self-pay exam is a real game. One cause of breast density is healthy glandular breast tissue. The glands of the breast contain two structures: ducts and lobules. The breast ducts are long tubes of glandular tissue that carry milk to the nipple, where it can be expelled during lactation.

Breast Density: Overview. Both the lobules and ducts appear as light, dense tissue on a mammogram. If you have a higher risk of breast cancer because you have dense breasts, you and your doctor will develop a screening plan tailored to your unique situation. General recommended screening guidelines include: a monthly breast self-exam a. The dense breast tissue notification law has resulted in confusion among women and primary care physicians. However, understanding what breast density is, how it is determine as well as your individual risk for developing breast cancer, will allow you along with your physician to make an educated choice concerning supplemental breast screening.

A mammogram image has a black background and shows the breast in variations of gray and white. Generally speaking, the denser the tissue , the whiter it appears. This may include normal tissue and glands, as well as areas of benign breast changes (e.g., fibroadenomas) and disease ( breast cancer).

Fat and other less- dense tissue renders gray on a mammogram image.