Those of you who have recently been for a mammogram will have noticed that your breast density is now included in your report from Breastscreen Victoria.
Understanding your breast density can be confusing, so we’ve put together this guide to help you make sense of your mammogram report and what it means for your breast health.
Breasts are made up of a combination of fatty tissue, glandular tissue, and connective/fibrous tissue. Women with high breast density have more fibroglandular tissue and less fatty tissue.
Breast density cannot be determined by the look and feel of a woman’s breast or on physical examination. It can only be measured from a mammogram.
Breast density is commonly classified into 4 categories:
- A: breasts are almost entirely fatty (approximately 10% of women)
- B: breasts have scattered areas of fibroglandular tissue (approximately 40% of women)
- C: breasts are heterogeneously dense. The mix of non-dense and dense tissue may hide small cancers. (approximately 40% of women)
- D: breasts are extremely dense, reducing the visibility of cancers on a mammogram (approximately 10% of women)
Why is breast density important?
Dense breast tissue can mask the appearance of cancers in a mammogram, making them harder to detect.
High breast density also increases a person’s risk of developing breast cancer.
Women with dense breasts (Category C or D) have a 1.5-2 times higher risk of breast cancer compared to those Category B. The risk is higher for women with category D density compared to category C. Breast density should be considered alongside other risk factors including age, family history and lifestyle factors including smoking and alcohol intake.
Having dense breasts does not mean that a woman will develop breast cancer or mean that a woman with breast cancer is more likely to die from it.
Breast density should be considered in the context of your overall risk, not in isolation.
We recommend that patients with extremely dense breasts (Category D) complete a risk tool such as iPrevent , then book to see your doctor for a risk assessment.
While some risk factors are not changeable, encouraging our patients to reduce their risk with lifestyle modifications is one of the key roles of GPs.
While high breast density can reduce the visibility of cancers on a mammogram, mammograms still detect the majority of cancers in people with high breast density. We continue to recommend women aged 50 to 74 have a breast screen (mammogram) every 2 years as it is still considered the most effective way to detect breast cancer early.
There are a range of options for enhanced surveillance for patients with high breast density including MRI, ultrasound, tomosynthesis or contrast enhanced mammography. These should be considered in the context of the patient’s other breast cancer risk factors, personal circumstances and preferences.
These supplementary tests are not currently funded as part of the BreastScreen Victoria program, however, some people may wish to access them privately or through a public hospital. If you have had a mammogram in the last 12 months, it is not recommended to have another mammogram (including tomosynthesis/3D mammogram) within this period due to the risk of radiation outweighing any benefit. The exception to this is if you have noticed any changes to your breasts since your last mammogram.
To discuss your breast density results, or explore whether enhanced surveillance is right for you, you can book a review appointment at Sage Medical. Your doctor can help you understand your individual risk and guide you on the most appropriate next steps for your breast health.
To book your review please:
📞 Call us on 03 8606 3206
🌐 Or click here to book online
