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. However, other studies have shown that the link between breast density and breast cancer risk, in general, is strong independent of this masking effect. As a result, mammography is less sensitive in women with dense breaststhat is, it is more likely to miss cancer. About 1 in 10 women has this result. About 50% of women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) have dense breast tissue. Sign up now and get a FREE copy of theBest Diets for Cognitive Fitness. In general, women whose breasts are classified as level C or level D are considered to have dense breasts. Get your hearing checked today. They're often easy to move around (mobile) and may be tender. The American Cancer Society advise differently. 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Breast density is also partly a heritable trait. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 |, Important Updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event. How should women with dense breasts be screened for breast cancer? Dr. Jones: Oh, good. (https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/breast-changes/dense-breasts), (https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=dense-breasts), (https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/dense-breasts), (https://www.acr.org/-/media/ACR/Files/Breast-Imaging-Resources/Breast-Density-bro_ACR_SBI.pdf), Visitation, mask requirements and COVID-19 information. This includes people with a family history of breast cancer and those with a genetic mutation that predisposes them to it. Factors associated with lower breast density include increasing age and having children. Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. But these tests are more likely to have a false positive result (the test is reported as abnormal, but you really dont have cancer). Typically, fatty breast tissue will appear dark on an X-ray, while cancerous lesions will appear white. This content does not have an English version. Having dense breasts is an independent risk factor for developing breast cancer, Dr. Musser explains. This content does not have an Arabic version. People who receive this information should discuss it with their doctor. Learn more about our philosophy of care, services and care team members at the: A Randomized Phase II Trial Of Circulating Tumor DNA-Guided Second Line Adjuvant Therapy For High Residual Risk, Stage II-III, Hormone Receptor Positive, HER2 Negative Breast Cancer, Randomized Non-Inferiority Trial Comparing Overall Survival of Patients Monitored With Serum Tumor Marker Directed Disease Monitoring (STMDDM) Versus Usual Care in Patients With Metastatic Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer, Too Young to Screen: Breast Cancer in Younger Women, 11 Things Experts Wish You Knew About Breast Cancer and Screening, Breast Cancer: A Woman at Risk Takes Preventive Action. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. They recommend yearly scans from 40 years of age. Your breast tissue tends to become less dense as you age, though some women may have dense breast tissue at Talk to your doctor about how your density affects your overall risk of breast cancer. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Energy-boosting coffee alternatives: What to know. 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. The majority of people who develop breast cancer dont have any known risk factors. 2016;164:ITC81. That is, women with dense breasts have a higher risk of breast cancer than women with fatty breasts. About 1 in 8 women and people AFAB will develop cancer in their lifetime. What to know about fungating breast tumors. Evidence suggests that breast density is Thanks for visiting. Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! Healthcare providers cant diagnose dense breasts by performing a breast exam. Doctors sometimes recommend that women at high risk for breast cancer be screened using breast ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in addition to mammography to help find cancers that cant be seen on a mammogram. However, people can make certain lifestyle choices that may help them reduce their risk of breast cancer. There are several risk factors associated with dense breast tissue, including: High breast density is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. 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. Its not clear why some women have a lot of dense breast tissue and others do not. Images courtesy of Rulla M. Tamimi, Sc.D., Harvard Medical School. The more dense your breasts are, the higher your risk. "The constant pull of gravity and the bouncing and movement during running can stretch the breast tissue and possibly lead to sagging, so hold them up with a supportive bra," suggests Taylor. However, it increases the chance that breast cancer will not be found on a mammogram. Learn about symptoms and treatment. Most medical organizations recommend that women who have an average risk of breast cancer consider regular mammogram testing beginning in the 40s and consider repeating the test every 1-2 years. The four breast density categories are shown in this image. WebA 2015 cohort study in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that people with dense breasts are more likely to have false-negative mammograms than those who do not MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. Dense tissue can hide cancers. Dense breast tissue appears as a solid white area on a mammogram, which makes it difficult to see through. Are changes in breast density over time associated with changes in breast cancer risk? Together you can decide whether additional screening tests are right for you. The levels of density are often recorded in your mammogram report using letters. Why dont certain ones work for me? These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. Tailoring breast cancer screening intervals by breast density and risk for women aged 50 years or older: Collaborative modeling of screening outcomes. Women with dense breasts should talk to their doctor about the benefits and risks of supplementary screening tests, in particular if they have other risk factors for breast cancer. But then you see a note on the bottom: you have high breast density, which could put you at higher risk for breast cancer in the future. Breasts that contain a higher proportion of glandular and connective tissues relative to fatty tissue are said to be dense. About 1 in 10 women has this result. WebIt is classified on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being the least dense and 4 being the most. Don't miss your FREE gift. MRI uses magnets instead of radiation to create images of the breast. Dense breasts: What do our patients need to be told and why? areas of dense glandular tissue and fibrous connective tissue (called. Dense breast tissue refers to the appearance of breast tissue on a mammogram. A 2008 study showed that women whose breast density decreased by 10% or more within the first year or so on tamoxifen were 63% less likely to develop breast cancer than women taking a placebo. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. In the June issue of Harvard Womens Health Watch, we highlighted a recent study that showed that digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), sometimes referred to as 3D mammography, might be better at detecting cancers in younger women and those with dense breast tissue. The breasts are made up of fatty, glandular, and connective tissues. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. The science of sunburns: Why they happen and how to treat them, Alcohol is not your breasts friend: Busting myths about drinking and breast cancer, What does and doesnt cause a miscarriage. Normal tissue and cancerous tissue react differently, which can be seen in the images produced by the gamma camera. Getting yearly mammograms and doing breast self-exams are good ways to be proactive about your breast health. Knowing this may help doctors counsel people regarding breast cancer detection and treatment approaches. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. The bad news is that like gender, race, family history, and genetic endowment breast density is pretty much out of our control. Breasts also include fatty tissue, which is not dense tissue. Have a lower body mass index Women who have less body fat are more likely to have denser breast tissue compared to women who have more body fat. Pruthi S (expert opinion). Why do some women with dense breasts develop breast cancer, whereas others do not? 2016;165:700. However, in women with extremely dense breasts, studies have shown mixed results as to whether 3D mammograms find more cancers than 2D mammograms. Breast density is often inherited, but other factors can influence it. (2018). Sometimes, X-rays and mammograms do not detect all abnormal tissue. Usually, people will have a mammogram. Your breast is made of glandular, connective and fatty tissue. Dense breast tissue is commonly found during regular mammograms. However, even people with breasts that are mostly fatty can get breast cancer. "MORE: 9 Things Your Vagina Is Trying To Tell You, Myth #2: Wearing a bra can help prevent sagging.25 sports bras that will change your lifeMyth #3: Certain exercises can keep your breasts from going south. False-positive results can cause substantial stress and anxiety. So does a possible tumor. Women in the We need high-quality research data that can tell us if women with very dense breasts or higher breast density should be screened or monitored differently, says Dr. Rexrode. Plus, get a FREE copy of the Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness. However, extremely dense breast tissue will also appear as white on the X-ray. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. But this is not always the case. As expected, the risk of breast cancer was higher for women with higher breast densities. 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