Medical Disclaimer: Discuss your individual breast density and screening needs with your healthcare provider.
What Is Breast Density?
Breast tissue is made up of glandular tissue, fibrous connective tissue, and fat. Dense breasts have more glandular and fibrous tissue relative to fat. Breast density is assessed on a four-category scale and reported in mammogram results in many countries.
Prevalence
Approximately 40–50% of people who have mammograms are found to have dense breast tissue. It is more common in younger people and tends to decrease with age, though it can persist after menopause.
Screening Implications
Dense tissue and cancer both appear white on mammography, which can make cancer harder to detect. Supplemental screening — ultrasound or MRI — may be recommended for people with very dense breasts and other risk factors. Discuss with your doctor.
