Mammograms are one of the most powerful tools for catching breast cancer early, but they can sometimes leave women with questions. This is especially true when the report mentions “dense breasts.” Breast density isn’t about size or firmness, it’s about the makeup of your breast tissue, and it can affect both your risk for breast cancer and how clearly a mammogram can detect it. Understanding what dense breast tissue means is an important part of your breast health puzzle. Take our quiz and expand your knowledge on breast density and breast cancer.
1. Which of the following is the definition of breast density?
A. It is a measurement of how much fibrous and glandular tissue (called fibroglandular tissue) there is in your breast as compared to fat tissue.
B. It is a measurement of how firm your breasts are.
C. It is a measurement of how large your breasts are.
D. All of the above
2. True or false? Fibrous and glandular tissues are harder to see through on a mammogram than fat tissue, making it harder to spot masses or other findings.
3. Having dense breasts is normal and not a medical condition. What percentage of women have dense breasts?
A. Nearly 10%
B. Just over 25%
C. About 50%
D. Just under 75%
4. True or false? There are four categories of breast density, and the FDA requires that all mammogram reports sent to patients must include breast density described as either “not dense” (Category A or B) or “dense” (Category C or D).
5. Which of the following are reasons why breast density is important?
A. Women who have dense breast tissue have a higher risk of breast cancer compared to women with less dense breast tissue.
B. Dense breast tissue makes it harder for radiologists to see cancer on mammograms.
C. All of the above
D. None of the above
6. It’s generally recommended that any woman who’s already in a high-risk group for developing breast cancer should have an MRI along with a yearly mammogram to screen for breast cancer. Which of the following puts a woman in the high-risk group?
A. Having a personal history of breast cancer
B. Having a lifetime risk of breast cancer of about 20% to 25% or greater, according to risk assessment tools that are based mainly on family history
C. Having a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, or a first-degree relative (parent, brother, sister, or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
D. Having radiation therapy to the chest before age 30
E. Having Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or having first-degree relatives with one of these syndromes
F. All of the above
7. True or false? Mammograms can miss about half of all cancers in women with dense breasts.
8. While scientists do not yet know why women with dense breasts are more likely to develop breast cancer, which of the following is the leading theory?
A. Breasts can gain or lose fat during a woman’s lifetime, but fibroglandular tissue remains the same.
B. Fibroglandular tissue is more likely to store carcinogens.
C. Breast cancer is generally found in fibroglandular tissue, so having more of this tissue, and thus denser breasts, means there are more cells that could become abnormal and cancerous.
D. None of the above
9 Which of the following groups are more likely to have dense breasts?
A. Women who are pre-menopausal
B. Women who are post-menopausal and take hormone replacement therapy
C. Women who are lean with a low body mass index (BMI)
D. Women who have never had children
E. All of the above
10. True or false? Breast density alone does not predict a woman’s risk of breast cancer; it is one piece of the puzzle that affects the risk of developing breast cancer.
11. True or false? If your mammogram report says you have dense breast tissue, talk with your healthcare provider about what this means for you, and make sure to share anything in your medical history that increases your risk for breast cancer.
Compiled by ERIKA ALDRICH / Information from American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and BreastCancer.org.
ANSWERS:
- A
- True
- C. About 50%
- True
- C. All of the above
- F. All of the above
- True
- C
- E. All of the above
- True
- True