High breast density is a major risk factor for breast cancer, and we’re hardly even talking about it. With celebrity after celebrity opening up about their breast cancer risk after getting testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, the focus in the media and in many minds seems to be that genetic risk is the end all be all of breast cancer risk. And don’t get me wrong, your genetic makeup plays an important role in your risk of getting breast cancer. Understanding your genetics, your family history and what it means for your health is extremely important.
However, knowing only your genes doesn’t give you the full picture.
We know many of the different factors that influence a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer. Age, use of hormones, birth control, weight and the density of your breasts all influence your chances of developing breast cancer one day. But that last one – breast density – isn’t on most women’s radar.
Breasts are made up of fat and different kinds of tissue, like milk ducts and connective tissue.
Breast density is a measure of how much tissue a person has compared to the amount of fat in their breasts. High breast density means that you have more tissue compared to fat, whereas low breast density is the opposite (more fat than tissue).
About 40% of women have dense breasts and women with high breast density have a four to five times greater risk of getting breast cancer than women with low breast density.
Women with dense breasts not only have an increased risk for breast cancer, but traditional film mammograms are more likely to miss a tumor in a breast with more dense tissue than one made up of more fatty tissue. Alternatives to film mammography like digital mammography, ultrasound and breast MRI may be better at finding tumors in women with dense breasts.
The best thing you can do is educate yourself on your breast density and how that influences your breast cancer risk. Currently, there is legislation for universal density reporting in 23 states. Visit this advocacy site to find out more about the laws in your state governing the reporting of breast density.
If you’re concerned about your breast density, you should talk with your healthcare provider about your risks and the best screening approach for you. But first, you need to find out: how dense are you?
Valerie Schaibley, PhD, is a science writer living in Seattle, Washington. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from Purdue University and her PhD in Human Genetics from the University of Michigan.
TapGenes Take Away: Forty percent of women have dense breasts and have a markedly higher risk of developing breast cancer. Are you one of them?
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