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Can Dense Breast Tissue Turn Into Cancer?
Going by what doctors say, women with dense breast tissues are at an increased risk of breast cancer. Dense breast tissues are detected via a mammogram. A few other imaging tests are also recommended to women who have dense breast tissues.
What Is Dense Breast Tissue?
This condition is determined by observing the appearance of breast tissue on a mammogram. This finding is not uncommon.
The breast tissue is made up of milk ducts, milk glands, supportive tissue (which is the dense breast tissue) and fatty tissue (which is nothing but the nondense breast tissue).
When a mammogram is done, women who have dense breasts would show more dense tissue compared to fatty tissue. When seen on a mammogram, the nondense breast tissue would appear transparent and dark. A solid white area observed on the mammogram indicates dense breast tissue. This is not transparent and hence difficult to see through.
What Does Dense Breast Tissue Feel Like?
When women have dense breast tissue, feeling lumps (that might be indicative of cancer) or any other changes in your breast might be difficult to identify. However, it is important to know that all breast cancer lumps are not the same, nor do they feel the same. Lumpy breasts do not mean that you have dense breasts. Moreover, a fibrocystic breast is different from a dense breast.
The presence of dense breast tissue is determined by a radiologist who analyzes the images obtained after a mammogram. The ratio of nondense tissue to dense tissue is identified and the level of breast density is assigned as the result. The results are made available to the doctor using a reporting system known as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. The results could be inferred as:
A:
Almost
entirely
fatty
(breasts
almost
entirely
composed
of
fat)
B:
Scattered
areas
of
fibroglandular
density
(presence
of
some
scattered
areas
of
density,
majority
of
the
breast
tissue
is
nondense)
C:
Heterogeneously
dense
(some
areas
of
nondense
tissue,
majority
of
the
breast
tissue
is
dense)
D:
Extremely
dense
(nearly
all
of
the
breast
tissue
is
dense)
Women who fall under category C and D are considered to have dense breasts.
What Causes Dense Breasts?
There is no clear medical evidence or justification as to why some women have a lot of dense tissue while others do not. The chances of having dense breasts are high due to the following reasons:
•
Young
age:
As
you
age,
your
breast
tissue
becomes
less
dense.
Nevertheless,
some
women
still
continue
to
have
dense
breasts
even
at
an
older
age.
•
Lower
body
index:
Women
who
are
lean,
or
otherwise
have
less
body
fat,
tend
to
have
denser
breast
tissue
as
compared
to
obese
women.
•
Hormone
therapy
for
menopause:
Menopause
comes
with
its
own
set
of
signs
and
symptoms.
Many
women
opt
for
hormone
therapy
to
relieve
the
signs
and
symptoms
of
menopause.
This
might
lead
to
such
women
having
dense
breasts.
Should You Worry About Dense Breast Tissue?
This is how having dense breasts might affect you:
•
Increases
the
risk
of
breast
cancer
(although
there
is
still
no
scientific
evidence
as
to
why
this
happens).
•
The
chances
of
breast
cancer
going
undetected
become
high
via
a
mammogram.
Just
knowing
that
you
have
dense
breast
tissue
should
not
make
you
anxious.
Finding
dense
breast
tissue
on
a
mammogram
is
quite
common.
A
screening
breast
MRI
might
be
recommended
by
your
doctor
if
you
have
dense
breasts
and
are
also
at
a
risk
of
potential
breast
cancer.
Regular mammogram testing is recommended for all women beginning at the age of 40 years. The screening should be repeated annually. Women who are at a risk of breast cancer would highly benefit from the annual breast cancer screening.
Cancer, as well as dense breast tissue, appears on a mammogram, hence making it difficult to interpret the mammogram results. Very dense breast tissue increases the chances of cancer not being detected via the mammogram.
Digital mammogram works by saving images of your breasts in the digital format. These images are then analyzed. The digital form of mammogram is more effective in finding cancer in dense breast tissue when compared to the older technique of film mammogram technology.
Can Breast Density Change Over Time?
Breast density is likely to change with age. Older women tend to have a lower breast density when compared to women of a younger age. The change in the density of the breasts is primarily due to reaching menopause. Certain types of hormones or hormone therapies can cause changes in the breast density. People who are on hormone therapies (such as hormone therapy for menopause) do see changes in the density of their breasts. However, in case of doubt, consulting a doctor is always advisable.
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