Have you been told your breasts are dense on mammograms? Heard the term but not sure what it means? Here are some useful things to know about dense breasts.
BREAST DENSITY
When we say a woman has “dense breasts”, we mean that there is more glandular and fibrous tissue on a mammogram than fat. Dense breasts are normal – approximately 40-50% of American women have dense breasts.
Here’s why knowing your breast tissue density is important:
- Dense breast tissue makes it harder to spot cancer on both 2D and 3D mammograms
- Cancers can be hidden by dense breast tissue – the denser breasts are, the less sensitive a mammogram can be
- Breast density is also an independent risk factor for developing breast cancer – a woman with extremely dense breasts may have a fourfold higher risk of developing breast cancer than a woman with almost entirely fatty breasts
- Mammography is still recommended for women with dense breasts as there are signs of breast cancer that show up better on mammograms than other types of studies
Extra testing with ultrasound or MRI may be useful in addition to a yearly mammogram.
SCREENING BREAST ULTRASOUND
Screening ultrasound has been in use for over a decade in the US as a way to look further into dense breast tissue. Screening ultrasound is a quick, non-invasive and inexpensive supplemental way to image breast tissue. The test can be performed on the same day as screening mammography, or at any time after. Many insurance companies cover additional screening with breast ultrasound using ICD-10 99.2 (inconclusive mammogram, due to dense breasts). Breast Center of New England offers the test for the cash-pay price of $220 for women who do not have insurance coverage for this service. Check with your doctor to see if this test is right for you, and with your insurance company to determine coverage.
SCREENING BREAST MRI:
Breast MRI is the most sensitive tool radiologists have to check for breast cancer. It is predominantly used in women who are at higher-than-average risk for developing breast cancer, usually because they have a strong family history. It is especially useful in high-risk women with dense breast tissue. Many insurance companies cover screening breast MRI if a woman’s estimated lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is greater than 20%. It’s important to know, however, that some of the cost of this test (which can range from $2000-5000) may go to your deductible. Screening breast MRI is performed at multiple hospitals on the Seacoast, and in Southern NH, Maine and Massachusetts.