{"id":3620,"date":"2020-09-30T08:00:46","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T15:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthimages.com\/?p=3620"},"modified":"2023-01-23T07:49:43","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T14:49:43","slug":"breast-density-on-mammograms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthimages.com\/breast-density-on-mammograms\/","title":{"rendered":"Breast Density on Mammograms"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Breast<\/p>\n

Mammograms are part of our first line of defense in fighting breast cancer. They save thousands of lives every year. A recent Swedish study demonstrated that breast cancer patients who took part in a mammography screening program had a\u00a060% lower risk<\/a>\u00a0of dying from breast cancer 10 years after diagnosis and a 47% lower risk of dying from breast cancer 20 years after diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Every mammogram is unique because no two women have the same breast tissue. One of the most significant variables in mammography involves breast tissue density. The makeup of a woman’s breast tissue can alter her risk for breast cancer and impact the clarity and effectiveness of traditional mammograms.<\/p>\n

What Is Breast Density?<\/h2>\n

To discuss breast density, we first need to examine the composition of breast tissue. Breast tissue consists of milk ducts, lobules \u2014 the glands that produce milk \u2014 and fat. It also contains connective tissue that binds all these components in place.<\/p>\n

The phrase “glandular tissue” refers to the milk ducts and lobules. This tightly packed tissue, along with the breast’s connective tissue, is much denser than the breast’s puffier fat.<\/p>\n

So high-density\u00a0breast tissue has a high ratio of glandular tissue and connective tissue to fat. Low-density breast tissue has a higher concentration of fat compared to the amount of glandular and connective tissue. Some breasts \u2014 fatty breasts \u2014 are mostly fat, whereas dense breasts are predominantly glandular and connective tissue.<\/p>\n

High breast density is relatively prevalent. In the United States, among women aged 40 to 74,\u00a0approximately 40 to 50%<\/a>\u00a0have dense breasts.<\/p>\n

\"High-density<\/p>\n

How Breast Density Will Appear on Mammograms<\/h2>\n

On mammogram images, fatty tissue appears gray and transparent, while glandular tissue looks opaque and white. Glandular tissue is, therefore, much harder to see through and may cloud crucial features of the breast composition. Another challenge arises because cancerous areas typically also show up as white on mammogram images. A mammogram of dense tissue may obscure critical details and make it challenging for a radiologist to detect abnormalities.<\/p>\n

A woman’s first mammogram may also double as a breast density screening. If you go for a mammogram, the radiologist may tell you that you have either high-density or low-density breasts.\u00a0The radiologist makes this characterization by looking at the images and evaluating their composition.<\/p>\n

Radiologists have developed a\u00a0system of categories<\/a>\u00a0to represent breast type densities as seen on mammogram images. That system is the\u00a0Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, and its categories break down like this.<\/p>\n