Dense Breasts
Dense breasts (or dense breast tissue) are very common. In the United States, about half of females* who are 40 years old or older have dense breasts.
Dense breasts have less fatty tissue and more connective tissue compared to breasts that are not dense. Because of this, they might look different on a mammogram.
In New York, there is a law that says a doctor or facility that provides mammograms must let people know if a mammogram shows they have dense breasts.
Knowing this information is important because dense breasts can make it harder to see signs of cancer on mammograms. People with dense breast tissue also have a higher risk of breast cancer as compared to those with less dense breast tissue.
At this time experts do not agree whether other tests should be done, in addition to mammogram, for people with dense breasts.
People with dense breasts should talk to their health care provider about their risk factors for breast cancer to decide if more screening tests, such as a screening ultrasound or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), are needed.
Resources
- American Cancer Society, "Breast Density and Your Mammogram Report"
- National Cancer Institute, "Breast Health: Follow-up after an Abnormal Mammogram"
- National Cancer Institute, "Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions"
- Susan G. Komen, "Breast Density on a Mammogram"
* Please note that for the purposes of this webpage, the term "female" is used to refer to individuals who were assigned female at birth (AFAB). In addition, the terms "women" and "female" are used when it is necessary to accurately reflect how data were collected and reported in the original source.
