Scary side of Dense Breast Tissue and Mammograms

Continuing with my research I found at About.com on Breast Cancer, this useful information (with mammogram images of different breast tissues) and I though to share it with you. So here it is...

Normal Fatty Breast Tissue on a Mammogram

Normal Fatty Breast Tissue on a Mammogram

National Cancer Institute

Description: Shown is a mammogram of a normal fatty breast, typical of older women. Diagnosis of abnormal lesions or cancer is more accurate in non-dense breasts.

Mammograms work best on fatty breasts because they have less areas of density (whiter masses). Breast masses which usually cause concern are lighter than normal dense tissue.

Normal Dense Breast Tissue on a Mammogram

Normal Dense Breast Tissue on a Mammogram

 National Cancer Institute

Description: Shown are 2 mammograms of normal dense breasts. A dense breast makes a mammographic image difficult to read when and if cancerous lesions are present. These images are typical of breast of younger women.

Premenopausal women, especially women who have never been pregnant, may have dense breast tissue. (I have three children and have Dense Breast Tissue, so this is not always the rule) These are normal dense breasts. Because fatty breasts are easier for a mammogram to see through, dense breast tissue can sometimes hide outlines of areas that need closer study. If a particular area needs a better image, an ultrasound is usually the next step.

Breast Cancer Tumor on Mammogram

Breast Cancer Tumor on Mammogram

National Cancer Institute

Description: Shown is a mammogram of a fatty breast with an obvious cancer, indicated by an arrow in lower right corner.

A cancerous tumor in the breast is a mass of breast tissue that is growing in an abnormal, uncontrolled way.  The tumor may invade surrounding tissue or shed cells into the bloodstream or lymph system.

_{Source:
Dr. Dwight Kaufman. Diagnosis: Mammogram: Normal Dense National Cancer Institute. February 1994.}

See more examples of what mammograms look like depending on the type of tissue:

• 0% (fatty breasts) mammographic density
• 1% to 24% mammographic density
• 25% to 49% mammographic density (most common in women over 50)
• 50% to 74% breast density (dense) on mammograms (more common in younger women)
• 75% to 100% density (really dense breasts)

Women in the last two groups have Dense Breast Tissue ...

Video
Dr Jennifer Engels, MD
Breast Imaging Specialist

The Cooper Clinic, McKinney, TX

I hope this information was useful to you.... until my next post!