What do dense breasts look like

Other risk factors include:. Read on to understand how dense breast tissue is diagnosed and how it relates to the risk of breast cancer. The biological function of the breast is to make milk for breastfeeding. Inside the breast is glandular, fatty, and connective tissue. A system of lymph nodes, called the internal mammary chain, runs through the center of the chest. Breast density describes the relative amount of these various tissues that can only be seen on a mammogram or other breast imaging.

For breasts to be considered dense, they need to show higher amounts of connective tissue and glandular tissue than fatty tissue. Having dense breasts is common, with about 50 percent of those who get mammograms showing dense breast tissue. After menopause, breasts are typically composed more of fat than other connective and glandular tissue.

This is because the number and size of milk-producing glands decreases after menopause. Some studies have shown that women with extremely dense breasts have a four to six times greater risk of developing breast cancer than those with mostly fatty breasts. Cancer appears to develop in areas where the breast is dense.

This suggests a causative relationship. The exact connection is unknown, though. A study found that dense breasts were associated with larger tumor diameter and more lymph node-positive disease than non-dense breasts. Research also suggests that dense breasts have more ducts and glands. This increases risk because cancer often arises in these places. Researchers are still studying this theory. However, one study suggested that women with dense breasts who are considered to have obesity or have tumors at least 2 centimeters in size have a lower breast cancer survival rate.

Traditionally, doctors use mammography to diagnose potentially harmful lesions in the breasts. These lumps or lesions usually appear as white spots against black or gray areas. If you have dense breasts, that tissue will appear white as well. This makes it more difficult for doctors to see potential breast cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, about 20 percent of breast cancers are missed in mammography. That percentage can approach 40 to 50 percent in dense breasts. According to the BI-RADS reporting system, the levels are from left to right A: almost entirely fatty, B: scattered areas of fibroglandular density, C: heterogeneously dense, and D: extremely dense. The radiologist who analyzes your mammogram determines the ratio of nondense tissue to dense tissue and assigns a level of breast density.

The levels of density are often recorded in your mammogram report using letters. The levels of density are:. In general, women with breasts that are classified as heterogeneously dense or extremely dense are considered to have dense breasts. About half of women undergoing mammograms have dense breasts. 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. Women with dense breasts, but no other risk factors for breast cancer, are considered to have a higher risk of breast cancer than average.

They may benefit from annual breast cancer screening. Dense breast tissue makes it more difficult to interpret a mammogram, since cancer and dense breast tissue both appear white on a mammogram. Very dense breasts may increase the risk that cancer won't be detected on a mammogram. Despite concerns about detecting cancer in dense breasts, mammograms are still effective screening tools.

The most common type of mammogram — digital mammogram — saves images of your breasts as digital files instead of film and allows for more detailed analysis. This is more effective at finding cancer in dense breast tissue than older film mammogram technology. There's some evidence that additional tests may make it more likely that breast cancer is detected in dense breast tissue. But additional tests carry additional risks, and no additional testing method is proved to reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer.

You and your doctor may consider additional or supplemental testing based on your other risk factors and your personal preferences. Every test has pros and cons. While each test is proved to find more breast cancers than a mammogram, none of these newer imaging tests is proved to reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer, as has been done with the standard film mammogram.

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If we combine this information with your PHI, we will treat all of that information as PHI, and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. The first mammogram is recommended at age 40 to accompany annual clinical exams, and the law requires doctors to notify women of dense breast tissue.

James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. True or False: Dense breast tissue means your breasts are heavy. Density refers to the appearance of your breast tissue on a mammogram — not the actual weight of your breasts. Your breasts contain milk glands, milk ducts and connective tissue — those are all dense breast tissue. The rest of the breast is made up of fatty tissue, which is the non-dense part. Cancer also appears white on a mammogram.

Dense breast tissue is difficult to see through and could hide or mask cancerous growths. Premenopausal women are more likely to have dense breasts. During menopause, milk glands and ducts diminish, leaving more fatty, or non-dense, tissue.

Some of us, though, may continue to have dense breasts as we age, due to family history or hormone therapy used to combat menopause. True or false: The more weight you gain, the denser your breasts become. Actually, the opposite is true. The less you weigh, the denser your breasts become. Kerger jokes. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Close The image on the left shows a mostly fatty breast, and the image on the right shows a dense breast. Stay Informed.

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