In September, the Food and Drug Administration implemented a new regulation making it mandatory that mammography facilities notify patients of their breast density. While on the surface this may seem like a small, clerical change, it could actually end up saving lives. That’s because dense breast tissue presents not only a higher risk of breast cancer but also makes it more difficult for the cancer to be detected in a mammogram.
What exactly is dense breast tissue? Dense breasts consist of more fibrous, connective tissue and glandular tissue than fatty tissue. On a mammogram, fatty tissue is transparent, making it easy to spot white masses that could be cancer. Dense tissue, on the other hand, appears white on a mammogram, making it harder to detect masses.
To further complicate matters, nearly half of all women 40 and older have dense breast tissue.
So while it’s indisputable that mammograms save lives, women who have dense breasts may benefit from additional screening methods if their healthcare provider deems it necessary for a more thorough view. Additional methods include 3D mammograms, MRIs, ultrasounds, and contrast-enhanced digital mammograms.
Some states, including Florida, have been following a similar regulation for notifying patients about breast density, but the latest action will go a long way in making the message more uniform across the country, more easily understood, as well as more explicit in stating that further screening could be needed.
It’s one more aspect of breast cancer awareness to help women take the necessary precautions. Thanks for reading Central Florida Health News, and don’t forget to schedule your mammogram!
