Dense breasts are a common condition that is diagnosed through mammography. It has nothing to do with how breasts feel, rather how they look on the mammogram.
Types of Breast Tissue
Breasts are made up of ducts and lobules (glandular tissue) along with both fibrous and fatty connective tissues. The amount of fibrous and glandular tissue determines how dense a breast is.
Breast Density Levels
There are four levels of breast density that radiologists use to describe what they see on the mammogram:
- Almost entirely fatty tissue
- Scattered fibroglandular density
- Heterogeneously dense
- Extremely dense
Breasts that are classified as heterogeneously dense or extremely dense are generally considered to have dense breasts. Approximately 50 percent of women have dense breasts.
Why is Breast Density Important?
Both breast cancer and dense tissue appear white on mammograms; fatty tissue appears black. Therefore, cancer stands out more in fatty tissue than dense tissue. The more dense the breasts are, the harder it is to see breast cancer during a mammogram. It is also believed that having dense breasts is a risk factor for developing breast cancer, though the reason why is unclear.
Dense Breasts? Now What?
If you have been told you have dense breast tissue, talk with your healthcare provider about next steps. Be sure he or she knows your medical history and any other risk factors for breast cancer you may have.
Your provider may recommend tomosynthesis mammography (sometimes referred to as 3-D mammography) or additional screenings such as an Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS). Both of these tools are available at the Saint Francis Breast Center in Tulsa.
Learn More About Dense Breasts from Saint Francis
Saint Francis Breast Health Services offers multiple services and locations across eastern Oklahoma.
The physicians, staff and volunteers of Saint Francis Health System are dedicated to the healthcare of our communities. To learn more about services provided through Saint Francis, please call Saint Francis HealthLink at 918-488-6688.