Do You Know Your Breast Density?

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Dense tissue can camouflage cancer on the mammogram and increase your risk of developing cancer in your lifetime.

It is important to know and understand your breast composition. Breasts are composed of dense (fibrograndular) and fatty (adipose) tissue. Your mammogram report classifies your breast tissue as dense or non-dense. These two categories can be further broken down into smaller categories labeled A, B, C, and D, where A and B indicate non-dense breasts and C and D indicate dense breasts.

• Having dense breast tissue is common. Nearly half of US women over the age of 40 have dense breasts.
• Dense tissue can hide cancer as both appear white on a mammogram.
• Breast composition is determined by a mammogram or MRI, not by how the breasts look or feel.
• Breast composition can change over time due to age, genetics, and other factors.
• Women with breast composition c or d, or specific risk factors, may require additional screening after a mammogram.

You need to monitor your breast health over time and participate in regular screenings.