By CARLA K. JOHNSON
During a mammogram, a very powerful finding in a lady is whether or not there are signs of breast cancer.
The second most significant finding is whether or not her breasts are dense.
Since the start of September a brand new US rule requires mammography centers to tell women about their breast density — information that isn't entirely latest to some women, as many states already had similar requirements.
Here's why breast density is significant.
Are dense breasts bad?
No, dense breasts will not be bad. In fact, they’re quite normal. About 40% of ladies aged 40 and over have dense breasts.
Women of all styles and sizes can have dense breasts. It has nothing to do with breast strength. And it only matters on the planet of breast cancer prevention, said Dr. Ethan Cohen from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
With the brand new rule, “there's going to be a lot of questions for a lot of doctors and a lot of Googling, which is fine. But we want to make sure people don't panic,” Cohen said.
How is breast density determined?
Doctors who review mammograms have a system for classifying breast density.
There are 4 categories. The least dense category signifies that the breasts are made up almost entirely of fatty tissue. The densest category signifies that the breasts are composed primarily of glandular and fibrous tissue.
Breasts are considered dense in two of the 4 categories: “heterogeneously dense” or “extremely dense.” The other two categories are considered not tight.
Dr. Brian Dontchos of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle said the classification can vary depending on the doctor reading the mammogram “because it is somewhat subjective.”
Why am I told that I even have dense breasts?
Two reasons: Firstly, with dense breasts it’s tougher to detect cancer on an X-ray, i.e. a mammogram.
“The dense tissue looks white on a mammogram, and cancer also looks white on a mammogram,” said Dr. Wendie Berg of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and chief scientific advisor of DenseBreast-info.org. “It’s like trying to see a snowball in a snowstorm.”
Second, women with dense breast tissue have a rather higher risk of developing breast cancer because cancer is more more likely to arise within the glandular and fibrous tissue.
It is reassuring that girls with dense breasts will not be more more likely to die from breast cancer than other women.
What should I do?
If you discover that you will have dense breasts, check with your doctor about breast cancer in your loved ones and whether it is best to undergo additional screening with an ultrasound or MRI, Dr. Georgia Spear of Endeavor Health/NorthShore University Health System within the Chicago area.
Do I still need a mammogram?
Yes, women with dense breasts should get regular mammograms, which remains to be the gold standard for early detection of cancer. Mammography should begin at age 40 for girls, transgender men, and non-binary people at average risk.
“We don’t want to replace mammography,” Spear said. “We want to complement it by adding another specific test.”
Does the insurance cover additional examinations?
For now, that is determined by your insurance, although a bill has been introduced in Congress that may require insurers to cover additional exams for girls with dense breasts.
Additional tests could be expensive – between $250 and $1,000 out of pocket, which is a hurdle for many ladies.
“Every woman should have an equal opportunity to detect her cancer early when it is easily treatable,” Berg said. “This is the bottom line.”
Originally published:
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