We found to be a great resource for understanding more about Dense Breasts.
Here's a link to their website: We also included some basic information below.
What is Dense Breast Tissue?
Dense breast tissue is comprised of less fat and more connective tissue which appears white on a mammogram. Cancer also appears white thus tumors are often hidden or masked by the dense tissue. As a woman ages, her breasts usually become more fatty. However, 2/3 of pre-menopausal and 1/4 of post menopausal women (40%) have dense breast tissue. Additionally, as the density of the breast increases, the risk of breast cancer also increases.
Radiologists have been reporting a woman's dense breast tissue to her referring doctor for twenty years. Most often, that information is not conveyed to the patient. Displaying heterogeneously or extremely dense breast tissue on a mammogram is considered dense.
For more information click here:
​
How Do I Know If I Have It?
A radiologist determines the density of a woman's breasts by examining a mammogram. Request a copy of your mammography report from your referring doctor. Make sure it is the report that is generated from the radiologist and not a form letter. Read the report carefully and look for descriptions of your breast tissue.
What Do I Do?
Talk to your doctor about having added screening such as an ultrasound or breast MRI. Insurance coverge for additional screening varies so talk with your insurance provider about whether they provide coverage for comprehensive ultrasound screening of an entire breast or breasts if a mammogram demonstrates heterogeneous or dense breast tissue based on the BIRADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) established by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Note: legislation requires that women in Colorado are informed of their breast density when they receive their mammography report. For more information on the Colorado legislation, click here:
​