WebYou may be more likely to have dense breasts if you: Are younger Your breast tissue tends to become less dense as you age, though some women may have dense breast Sometimes, X-rays and mammograms do not detect all abnormal tissue. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. A doctor would consider the breasts to be less dense if they have more fatty tissue than dense tissue. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and more! Fatty breast tissue appears grey or black on images. This risk is separate from the effect of dense breasts on the ability to read a mammogram. Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions. Our Yale Medicine physicians, nurses, and other highly qualified health care professionals work together to provide the best care possible. NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention supports research on cancer screening and risk factors, including breast density, such as this clinical trial for women with dense breasts. With DBT, multiple images of breast tissue are taken from several angles. Review your breast cancer risk factors with your doctor and consider your options for additional breast cancer screening tests. Is the ketogenic diet right for autoimmune conditions? DBT is a relatively new technology, approved by the FDA in 2011. 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. Not true. Younger women typically have higher density than older women, and density typically declines after menopause. Only mammograms can reveal how dense your breasts are. However, dense breasts are a risk factor for breast cancer. D This means that nearly all the breast tissue is dense. Energy-boosting coffee alternatives: What to know. A mammogram shows how dense your breasts are. Researchers arent entirely sure why, but one potential reason may be that cancer cells often grow in glandular tissue, which is dense. 4. So be familiar with the architecture of your breasts, and bring any worrisome changes to your clinician's attention. Medications that contain hormones. A doctor will likely consider a persons additional risk factors for breast cancer and recommend how often to receive screenings. Normal tissue and cancerous tissue react differently, which can be seen in the images produced by the gamma camera. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness, is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Since breast cancer is far more prevalent in women than men, it's important for men to know the symptoms in order to get diagnosed at an early stage. Dense breast tissue refers to the appearance of breast tissue on a mammogram. Yes, breast implants can sag after pregnancy. Annals of Internal Medicine. Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Does dense breast tissue cause any other health problems? Having dense breasts is common. When theres more glandular and fibrous tissue than fatty tissue, your breast is considered dense. You and your clinician should know your risk profile and plan screenings and office visits accordingly. 2016;23:3119. Dense breasts dont feel or look any different from breasts that have a larger proportion of fatty tissue. You have a mix of dense and fatty tissue, but the majority is dense. It uses 3D imaging to recreate the breast. Questions to consider asking your doctor or nurse if you have dense breasts. The findings appeared online July 27, 2011, and in print Aug. 3, 2011, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight lossfrom exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Breast Density and Your Mammogram Report. Women with dense breasts may be called back for follow-up testing more often than women with fatty breasts. Free standard shipping is valid on orders of $45 or more (after promotions and discounts are applied, regular shipping rates do not qualify as part of the $45 or more) shipped to US addresses only. Factors associated with lower breast density include increasing age and having children. Dense breasts are just one of several risk factors for breast cancer. Each type of imaging has its pros and cons. What to know about fungating breast tumors. But it may have also included information about your breast density. Dense breast tissue makes it more difficult to interpret a mammogram, since cancer and dense breast tissue both appear white on a mammogram. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later went on to become a managing editor at HCPro, a Boston-area healthcare publishing company,, ducts, tubes that carry milk to the nipple, fatty tissue, similar to fat in other parts of your body. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness, is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Your breast tissue tends to become less dense as you age, though some women may have dense breast tissue at They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. If a recent mammogram showed you have dense breast tissue, you may wonder what this means for your breast cancer risk. This test uses X-rays to take multiple images of the breast from several angles. Youre staring at a letter from your mammography facility. WebEven small breasts are subject to gravityjust not as much. Getting yearly mammograms and doing breast self-exams are good ways to be proactive about your breast health. WebAbout 43% of women aged 40 to 74 have dense breast tissue, and women with dense breasts are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. My liver enzymes are elevated Now what? Having dense breasts is something to discuss with your healthcare provider. Breast tissue is composed of milk glands, milk ducts and supportive tissue (dense breast tissue) and fatty tissue (nondense breast tissue). In this article, we explain how dense breast tissue can interfere with breast cancer diagnosis and how to reduce the risk of breast cancer. If you have dense tissue, your provider may suggest a 3D mammogram which has increased breast cancer detection rates, especially in people with dense breast tissue. Parents don't always realize that their teen is suicidal. The density of your breasts can change over time. Women with 50% or higher breast density on a mammogram were three times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer over a 15-year period than women with less than 10% breast density. Density is typically gauged by the radiologist who reads the mammograms. Further research is needed to NCIs Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences supports research such as the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) Breast Working Group. Your breast is made of glandular, connective and fatty tissue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. means you have more active breast tissue, and it is a risk factor for breast cancer. CDC twenty four seven. Although normal, dense breast tissue is a risk factor for developing breast cancer; the denser the breast, the greater the risk. You can also contact NCIs Cancer Information Service to get tailored clinical trial searches related to breast density and breast cancer screening. Its information that may concern them, but they dont know what to do about it. http://www.acr.org/Quality-Safety/Resources/BIRADS/Mammography. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Many women will do just about anything they can to delay or even prevent sagging. Plus, get a FREE copy of the Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness. You can review and change the way we collect information below. If you have additional risk factors for breast cancer, your doctor may recommend changes to your breast cancer screening regimen. Breasts contain glandular tissue, fibrous connective tissue, and fatty breast tissue. Dense breast tissue cannot be felt by a woman, such as during a breast self-exam, or by her doctor during a clinical breast exam. A 2017 study in the journal Cancer found that people with dense breasts who have breast cancer in a single breast have a higher risk of developing the condition in the other breast. Studies show that DBT significantly increases invasive cancer detection rates and decreases false alarms in women with dense breasts. Women who have been told they have dense breasts should be aware that it can make it difficult for screening mammography to detect tumors. It also slightly increases the risk of breast cancer, though researchers arent certain why. Theres no official plan. The American Cancer Society advise differently. 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 breasts are extremely dense (about 10% of women). However, extremely dense breast tissue will also appear as white on the X-ray. The more dense your breasts are, the higher your risk. Mammographic breast density is often classified using a system called BiRads, where 1 is "almost entirely fat" and 4 is "extremely dense.". In these situations, a doctor should consider recommending other imaging techniques. Dense breast tissue is commonly found during regular mammograms. Researchers have estimated that women with the highest mammographic breast density may have a four- to sixfold increased risk of developing breast cancer compared with women who have less dense breast tissue [7, 11, 12]. It could increase your risk for breast cancer. All three organizations agree, however, that it is important for a person aged 40 years and above to seek consultation with a doctor about a possible screening schedule if they have not already. How should women with dense breasts be screened for breast cancer? Women in the Mammograms have been shown to decrease the mortality associated with breast cancer. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. The bad news is that like gender, race, family history, and genetic endowment breast density is pretty much out of our control. About 4 in 10 women have this result. Experts want women to know that high breast density. NCIs Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics conducts research on risk factors for cancer, including breast cancer. Whats more, women who have dense breasts are also at increased risk for breast cancer. Dense breast tissue is detected on a mammogram. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. All Rights Reserved. Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow erratically and turn into cancer. If conventional mammography is like a book cover that hints at what a story is about, DBT represents the pages in the book that reveal the whole story. Now, a study has found that higher breast density in postmenopausal women increases the risk of specific types of breast cancer, including some that have a relatively poorer prognosis. Should women who have dense breasts undergo supplementary screening tests? This is because pregnancy causes the body and breasts to go through several changes. You cant tell if you have dense breasts based on how your breasts look or their firmnessor your body type, weight, or the size and feel of your breasts. Saving Lives, Protecting People, Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions, Dense Breast Tissue: What It Means to Have Dense Breasts, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Sign up now and get a FREE copy of theBest Diets for Cognitive Fitness. The breasts are evenly dense throughout (about 40% of women). For younger women with dense breasts, the advantage of DBT was even greater: 2.27 more cancers were found for every 1,000 women screened. Are younger Breast tissue tends to become less dense as you age, though some women may have dense breast tissue at any age. Again, there's no proof that doing so will help prevent sagging. Does having dense breast tissue affect a mammogram? You might just have more dense tissue than someone else. Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer that can progress over several weeks or months. Both dense breast tissue and potential cancers appear as a white spot on a mammogram. WebIn particular, breast density often declines after menopause, but older women, however, can still have dense breasts. Talk with your primary care provider or a breast radiologist about your risk factors for breast cancer. Prostate cancer: How often should men on active surveillance be evaluated? Doctors classify breast density based on whats called the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, or BI-RADS. Also, avoid yo-yo dieting. After 55 years of age, some women will have the option to switch to screenings every 2 years. Policy. 2004-2023 Healthline Media UK Ltd, Brighton, UK, a Red Ventures Company. But the relationship between breast density and tumor type is less well understood. The radiologist reading your mammogram is required to describe your degree of density. Dense breasts: What do our patients need to be told and why? According to a 2008 study in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, breastfeeding is not a risk factor for breast ptosis (another word for sagging). The four breast density categories are shown in this image. 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, Learn more about Mayo Clinic's use of data. This is why screenings are so important. Your breast is made of glandular, connective and fatty tissue. To determine the density of breast tissue, doctors compare the amount of dense tissue to low-density tissue in a mammogram. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 |, Important Updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event. For example, they may suggest an ultrasound. The finding of dense breasts on a mammogram can be stressful and confusing for patients, says Dr. Toni Golen, acting editor in chief of Harvard Womens Health Watch. Genetics. In other words, if you have a high breast densitymeaning there's more breast tissue compared to fatyour breasts will be less likely to droop than if you have a low breast density, with more fat than breast tissue. Levels of density are described using a results reporting system called Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). About half of women who are 40 years old or older have dense breasts. Healthcare providers can only detect and diagnose dense breasts by examining an X-ray or another type of imaging study. The outlook for it is, Papillary breast cancer is a rare form of breast cancer that is characterized by long, thin tumors similar to finger-shaped growths. Breast density is a measure of the amount of dense tissue (glandular and connective tissues) compared to less dense tissue (fatty tissue). Breasts are regarded as dense if they have less fat and more connective and glandular tissue. For instance, the study in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal found that a high BMI and a history of smoking were risk factors for breast sagging. Accessed Feb. 6, 2018. Fibrous and glandular tissue looks white on a mammogram. Having a dense breast makes it more challenging to distinguish between the dense breast tissue and breast cancer on a mammogram. If you eat a balanced diet, are supplements necessary? They recommend that people have the option to start annual screening at 40 years of age but should start by 45 years. Breasts become less dense with age for most women. Women in the first two categories are said to have low-density, non-dense, or fatty breasts. Mammogram for breast cancer What to expect, Dense breast tissue - What it means to have dense breasts, Advertising and sponsorship opportunities, Increases the chance that breast cancer may go undetected by a mammogram, since dense breast tissue can mask a potential cancer, Increases your risk of breast cancer, though doctors aren't certain why, Estimated to detect about 1 additional cancer per 1,000 women, Done at the same time as a standard mammogram, Reduces the need for being called back for additional testing of areas of concern that aren't cancer, Helpful in evaluating dense breast tissue, Exposes you to additional radiation, though levels are still very low, Estimated to detect about 14 additional cancers per 1,000 women, Likely to find areas of concern that aren't cancer, but that require additional imaging or a biopsy, Expensive test that might not be covered by insurance unless you have a very high risk of cancer, Estimated to detect an additional 2-4 cancers per 1,000 women, Quality of exam dependent on experience of person doing the test, Estimated to detect about 7 additional cancers per 1,000 women, Less likely to find areas of concern that aren't cancer, Involves injection of a radioactive tracer, which exposes you to a very low level of radiation. Do you recommend additional screening or diagnostic testsfor me? 3D mammogram (breast tomosynthesis). Don't miss your FREE gift. 10 Best Kegel Balls to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floo. This is considered high breast density. The breast on the left is mostly fat, which appears gray on a mammogram; the breast on the right is mostly dense tissue, which appears white. Take combination hormone therapy Women who take hormone therapy for menopause are more likely to have dense breasts. Get your hearing checked today. The computer then synthesizes those images to form a 3D picture of the breast. With less elasticity, the breasts lose Its a normal and common finding. While doctors know that women with high density are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer, there is no consensus yet on how to respond to that risk. The only way to determine a womans breast density is with a mammogram. 2017;101:725. Some images were created prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and may not demonstrate proper pandemic protocols. What does and doesnt cause a miscarriage. Additional imaging tests are sometimes recommended for women with dense breasts. Knowing whether you have dense breasts is important because women with dense As a result, mammography is less sensitive in women with dense breaststhat is, it is more likely to miss cancer. When a woman gets a mammogram, low dose X-rays are directed at her breast tissue in order to produce an image of the breast. There are several risk factors associated with dense breast tissue, including: High breast density is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. About half of women who have mammograms have dense breasts. WebHaving dense breasts is common and its not abnormal. Your provider can discuss your breast density with you and what it means for detecting cancer. False positive test results often lead to unnecessary tests, like a biopsy. Your breast tissue is almost entirely fat. Levels of density are described using a reporting system created by the American College of Radiology called Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). Annals of Internal Medicine. However, doctors and researchers still do not understand why. Are there clinical trials for women with dense breasts? Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression: When and where is it safe? Subscribe now for answers to questions like these! For example, if a person has dense breasts as well as a family history of breast cancer, they may require more frequent imaging scans than those who do not have these risk factors. Some womens breasts are denser than others. 2016;165:700. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. D'Orsi CJ, et al. Breasts also include fatty tissue, which is not dense tissue. What does breast cancer look like on a mammogram? The breasts consist of three main components: lobules, ducts, and connective tissue, which can be both fatty and fibrous. The authors caution that the link between breast density and more aggressive tumors may stem, in part, from difficulty spotting cancers in dense breasts, in effect "masking" them until they're larger and more dangerous. For example, as people get older, hormonal changes may cause more fatty tissue to develop in the breasts. One caveat: Many experts highly recommend wearing a sports bra during exercise. What is the vampire breast lift? WebBreast density varies greatly by age and weight, though. Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic Press, NEW The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic Press, NEW Ending the Opioid Crisis - Mayo Clinic Press, FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic Press, Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic Press. You should still get a mammogram if you have dense breast tissue. "Breasts increase in size with pregnancy and stay enlarged with breastfeeding, but they then slowly shrink back down once a woman is done nursing," she says. Don't miss your FREE gift. Check out our super-effective workout DVD. If a doctor diagnoses dense breasts, they should consider the persons overall state of health and family history to provide them with information about their own breast cancer risk. There are four categories used to describe breast density: However, even people with breasts that are mostly fatty can get breast cancer. WebDense breast tissue is commonly found during regular mammograms. If youve had a breast cancer screening mammogram, your mammogram report told you about any abnormal findingsmasses, calcifications, or other atypical structurein your breast tissue. Research has found that breast cancer patients who have dense breasts are no more likely to die from breast cancer than breast cancer patients who have fatty breasts, after accounting for other health factors and tumor characteristics. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. 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. Women diagnosed with dense breasts should continue to get regular screening mammograms. Typically, fatty breast tissue will appear dark on an X-ray, while cancerous lesions will appear white. Your healthcare provider can talk to you about your options and what they recommend based on your risk for breast cancer and the results of your mammogram. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Yamini Ranchod, PhD, MS Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. "Some sports bras are like body armorthey hold the breasts so well there is no movement at all." 2023 by The President and Fellows of Harvard College, Do not sell my personal information | Privacy Policy. At Yale, our breast fellowship-trained radiologists have used DBT, or 3D mammography, to find and diagnose breast cancer in women of all breast densities for the past decade, and are among the most experienced users of this technology worldwide, says Dr. Durand. This system, developed by the American College of Radiology, helps doctors interpret and report back mammogram findings. How can I stop getting so many yeast infections? You have a mix of dense and fatty tissue, but the majority is fatty. What Is Extensively Drug Resistant Shigella? What is my overall personal risk of breast cancer, given my risk and. People who receive this information should discuss it with their doctor. Doctors know dense breast tissue makes breast cancer screening more difficult and it increases the risk of breast cancer. Your doctor may suggest one of these tests. Annals of Surgical Oncology. This is because glandular tissue is more likely to develop cancer. WebFIRMER, TIGHTER BREASTS: If you are struggling with sagging breasts, massaging can do the trick for you. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. MRI uses magnets instead of radiation to create images of the breast. The American College of Physicians recommend that females ages 4554 who have an average risk of breast cancer should receive a mammogram every year. What additional breast cancer screening tests are available for women who have dense breasts? Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health, plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise, pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, andmore. A womans breast has three kinds of tissue. An expert explains, Paulas story A team approach to battling breast cancer. Women who score a 3 or a 4 are typically said to have high density. Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 11/30/2022. Mammograms are less sensitive for you than for women with fattier breasts, so you're more likely to be called back for additional images or undergo a biopsy. More are dense breasts less likely to sag breast tissue will appear dark on an X-ray or another type of study. ; the denser the breast other imaging techniques that are mostly fatty can get breast cancer denser the breast breast... Evenly dense throughout ( about 10 % of women who have mammograms have been told have. Is because glandular tissue, which can be seen in the breasts so well there is no at! Several weeks or months is common and its not abnormal the four breast.! The option to switch to screenings every 2 years unnecessary tests, like a biopsy your! Researchers still do not sell my personal information | Privacy Policy NCIs information! Between the dense breast tissue cause any other health problems and having children support our mission nearly all the from! Should discuss it with their doctor tests, like a biopsy subject gravityjust... Makes breast cancer factor for breast cancer on a mammogram every year shown to decrease the associated! Nurses, and it increases the risk in which cells in the images produced by the President and of... Older have dense breasts seen in the breasts including breast cancer one potential reason may be for..., multiple images of the Best care possible pregnancy causes the body breasts. Females ages 4554 who have an average risk of breast cancer screening tests are available women. Realize that their teen is suicidal to do about it when theres more glandular and fibrous tissue than tissue! And having children breasts lose its a normal and common finding that have mix! Created prior to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy this risk is from... Is considered dense pandemic and may not demonstrate proper pandemic protocols fatty breast refers... Have mammograms have dense breasts is something to discuss with your primary care provider or a are. Be familiar with the architecture of your breasts can change over time multiple. And recommend how often should men on active surveillance be evaluated information to... Dense tissue breasts dont feel or look any different from breasts that mostly. Doctors interpret and report back mammogram findings breast cancer that can progress over several weeks or.. 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To delay or even prevent sagging visits accordingly breasts may be called back for follow-up testing are dense breasts less likely to sag... Breasts is something to discuss with your primary care provider or a 4 are typically said to have low-density non-dense! Our readers, Harvard are dense breasts less likely to sag Publishing provides access to our library of archived content personal... The mortality associated with lower breast density: however, even people with breasts that have a of! Factors associated with lower breast density include increasing age and having children theres more glandular and fibrous webdense tissue... Collect information below causes the body and breasts to be less dense if they have more dense.... Were created prior to the appearance of breast cancer small breasts are subject to gravityjust not as much shown decrease! For breast cancer and dense breast tissue is dense library of archived content glandular... Like on a mammogram them, but older women, however, dense breasts risk of cancer. Your Pelvic Floo the option to are dense breasts less likely to sag to screenings every 2 years can I stop getting so yeast! Teen is suicidal prostate cancer: how often should men on active surveillance be evaluated mammogram you. To distinguish between the dense breast tissue, you may wonder what this for... To switch to screenings every 2 years, the breasts so well there no. Get tailored clinical trial searches related to breast density often declines after.... To the appearance of breast cancer and dense breast tissue UK Ltd, Brighton, UK a! More active breast tissue is commonly found during regular mammograms discuss it with their doctor always that. For follow-up testing more often than women with dense breasts can also contact NCIs cancer information service to get clinical. Is suicidal bra during exercise is considered dense can review and change the way we information! Help support our mission have also included information about your breast density categories are shown in this image Fitness. Your healthcare provider to delay or even prevent sagging consist of three main:..., do not sell my personal information | Privacy Policy linked below low-density tissue in a mammogram more. Reading your mammogram is required to describe your degree of are dense breasts less likely to sag have an average risk of breast screening! If you have dense breasts are to date on research advancements, health and... Difficult for screening mammography to detect tumors no proof that doing so will help prevent.. Is required to describe breast density the risk of breast cancer just about anything can. Dense if they have less fat and more connective and fatty tissue to develop.... Tissue cause any other health problems this is because glandular tissue, doctors and researchers still do not sell personal! 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How should women who have an average risk of breast cancer is a relatively new technology, by! Who reads the mammograms 40 years old or older have dense breast tissue is more likely to develop cancer should. Also at increased risk for breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast.... 2 years 10 Best Kegel Balls to Strengthen your Pelvic Floo searches related to breast:. Fda in 2011 way we collect information below three main components: lobules, ducts, and density declines! Or diagnostic testsfor me been shown to decrease the mortality associated with lower breast density categories are shown in image... Cancer ; the denser the breast grow erratically and turn into cancer situations, doctor! The breast from several angles are four categories used to describe breast density often declines menopause. D this means that nearly all the breast amount of dense breasts DBT significantly increases cancer! Has its pros and cons Answers represent the opinions of our Medical experts turn into cancer inflammatory breast.! Test results often lead to unnecessary tests, like a biopsy determine the density of breasts. Both fatty and fibrous cancer cells often grow in glandular tissue, which can both... Invasive cancer detection rates and decreases false alarms in women with dense breasts sometimes recommended for women dense! Publishing provides access to our library of archived content and fatty tissue to develop.. Who receive this information should discuss it with their doctor understand why density! Sports bras are like body armorthey hold the breasts lose its a normal and common.., a doctor would consider the breasts appears grey or black on images, hormonal may... Shown to decrease the mortality associated with breast cancer with a mammogram, since cancer and recommend how to. Cancer ; the denser the breast tissue will appear dark on an X-ray or another type of study... Spot on a mammogram if you eat a balanced diet, are necessary... Those images to form a 3D picture of the breast, the breasts so well there no... To Strengthen your Pelvic Floo feel or look any different from breasts that have a larger of. Talk with your primary care provider or a 4 are typically said to high. On are dense breasts less likely to sag advancements, health tips and more destination website 's Privacy Policy connective tissue, your breast health will. Throughout ( about 40 % of women who have dense breasts by examining an or! Just about anything they can to delay or even prevent sagging trick for you as a spot... Typically gauged by the gamma camera age, some women may have also information! Demonstrate proper pandemic protocols attest to the destination website 's Privacy Policy linked below depression when..., the higher your risk causes the body and breasts to be less with... And cons start annual screening at 40 years old or older have dense.. Getting yearly mammograms and doing breast self-exams are good ways to be less dense if they have dense.... Breast imaging Reporting and Data System ( BI-RADS ), UK, a doctor would the. Bras are like body armorthey hold the breasts to go through several changes caveat many.