Mammography will soon determine breast density

Mammography will soon have the ability to determine the density of a girl’s breasts, dense breasts put women at greater risk breast cancer.

Starting in September 2024, all mammogram reports and test ends in the United States will be required to incorporate a breast density rating. Breast density measures how much fibroglandular tissue is in a girl’s breasts in comparison with fat tissue. The more fibroglandular tissue, the denser the breast. It also makes it harder for healthcare providers to detect cancer on a mammogram.

Radiologist, interim chief of the Breast Imaging Service and chief of Breast Imaging Quality Assurance at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Kimberly Feigin, says that almost half of ladies within the United States over the age of 40 have dense breast tissue. Feigin believes there are two necessary explanation why density reports are vital. “First, breast density can make it harder to detect cancer on a mammogram because dense breast tissue—the glandular and supporting connective tissue—looks white on a mammogram, and cancer also looks white on a mammogram,” Feigin said.

“The second reason breast density is important is that dense breast tissue increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) has made a final decision that will require mammogram providers to tell patients about their breast density. , in states reminiscent of Colorado and Minnesota such regulations already apply; nonetheless, this will be the primary regulation that will be mandatory throughout the country.

There are common misconceptions about dense breasts, including how they’re determined, but doctors say dense breasts can’t be determined by self-examination or clinical testing, meaning it is just not about how the breast “feels.” It also doesn’t matter whether the breasts are “bouncy” or “saggy.” “A lot of people will say, ‘I know I have dense breasts because they feel lumpy.’ That is actually not accurate,” said MD Anderson Cancer Center breast imaging radiologist Dr. Toma Omofoye.

“It’s not something you can see, feel or touch. It’s something a radiologist will tell you based on what he sees on a mammogram.”

The National Cancer Institute says dense breasts are sometimes hereditary, but they may also be attributable to menopausal hormone therapy and low body mass index. Breast cancer survivor JoAnn Pushkin has been an advocate for greater than a decade, pushing for a nationwide requirement that ladies learn about their breast density. She said the brand new rules have been a protracted time coming. “I feel like because I wasn’t told I had dense breasts, I was effectively denied the opportunity to get diagnosed early,” Pushkin said.

The recent guidelines don’t provide specific next steps for patients with dense breast tissue, but they recommend that ladies check with their doctors to raised assess their individual risk and establish an appropriate screening plan for his or her needs.