What Does It Mean To Have Dense Breast Tissue And How Does It Affect Mammograms?

You might be concerned about what that means for your wellness if a recent mammogram revealed that your breast tissue is dense. Healthcare providers understand that screening for breast cancer is harder in cases of thick breast tissue. It increases the possibility of breast cancer as well.

Examine your risk factors for breast cancer with your medical team. You can decide what is best for you by reviewing your options for extra breast cancer screening evaluation from Intermountain Medical Imaging.

What should you do if you have dense breast tissue?

Breasts are composed of three different types of tissue: glandular tissue, comprising the lobules and ducts that produce and carry milk; fatty tissue, which fills the space between glandular and fibrous tissue and contributes to the size and shape of breasts; and fibrous or connective tissue, which holds the breast in place. The amount of glandular and fibrous tissue (also known as fibroglandular tissue) in the breast, in contrast to fat tissue, is determined by breast density. A higher breast density implies that there is more fibro glandular tissue than fat in your breasts.

How can you tell if your breast tissue is dense?

A radiologist chooses by examining a mammogram and calculating the amount of white, grey, and black regions on the picture. On mammography, fibro glandular tissue appears white; hence, the denser the breasts, the more significant the percentage of white in the picture. Because breasts that feel hard to the feel may not always indicate an increased breast density, dense breasts cannot be identified via a physical examination.

Why is it essential to know if your breasts are dense?

One factor related to an increased risk of breast cancer is breast density. The basic connections between breast density and cancer are now being investigated. Since glandular tissue is where breast cancer is known to develop, having more of it might only give abnormal cells more room to grow.

How do you classify dense breast tissue?

Doctors interpret and report standardized mammography results using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), which was established by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Doctors are increasingly employing automated technologies to help with the classification process because it is subjective. Dense breasts are divided into four groups by BI-RADS:

• Breasts that are wholly or nearly entirely made of fatty breast tissue fall into category A. This breast’s mammograms will be mainly dark gray or black, with a minor amount of dense breast tissue showing up as light gray or white. Around 10 percent of women are in this group.

• Dense breast tissue in sporadic locations characterizes category B. There will be both light and dark gray or black spots on a Category B mammography. In regions of the breast that seem thick, tumors may be hidden. About 40% of women are classified as B.

• Breasts in category C are heterogeneously dense. These breasts will mainly show up as light gray or white on mammography. Around 40% of women are in this group.

• Extremely thick breasts are categorized as category D. Since dense breast tissue makes up almost all of the breast, the mammography appears practically white. Category D comprises 10% of women.

How may breast cancer be detected in dense breasts?

Dense breasts make it harder for radiologists to detect possible cancer on routine mammograms, which are referred to as 2D mammograms since they are just two dimensions of a three-dimensional breast. Furthermore, a lot of women get 3D mammograms, also known as tomosynthesis, as part of their regular checkups. These examinations have been found to improve the detection of breast cancer in women with heterogeneously dense breasts, but the results differ among people with particularly dense breasts.