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The Canadian Association of Radiologists is the national specialty association for radiologists, dedicated to medical imaging excellence in patient care

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Breaking Down the Importance of Breast Density for Professionals and Patients

Presented by Bayer

Breast density – and its implication for breast cancer screening – is a topic garnering major attention today. About half of all women over 40 who get mammograms are found to have dense breasts, which can obstruct tumour detection on a mammogram.1 Furthermore, women with dense breasts are at an increased risk for breast cancer.1

Bayer created an information hub, designed to support patients navigating the breast cancer screening process, from initial internet search to final results. MyRadiologyScan.ca joins patients on their journey, serving up supportive content in the form of videos, FAQs and other downloadable resources; all dedicated to preparing patients for their upcoming scan. The hope is that informed patients present with less stress, fewer questions and greater confidence, leading to a smoother scan and a better overall experience.

Here’s a snapshot of the information found on MyRadiologyScan.ca:

  • Breast density is the ratio of fibrous tissue to fat within the breast; more fibrous tissue makes a denser breast
  • Individuals with dense breasts have a greater risk of developing breast cancer vs. those with fatty breasts2
  • X-ray mammography (for breast cancer detection) is less effective in women with dense breasts
    • Hence, cancer is more often missed or found later in advanced stages in women with dense breasts3
    • Supplemental imaging methods include contrast-enhanced mammography, contrast-enhanced MRI, tomosynthesis and ultrasound
  • Certain factors can affect breast density, including:4-6
    • Age: Breast tissue tends to become less dense after menopause
    • Body Mass Index: Women with less body fat are more likely to have dense breast tissue
    • Hormones: Women on combo hormone therapy for menopause are more likely to have dense breast tissue
    • Genes: Breast density is influenced by heredity

It’s a heavy discussion, but it’s a critical discussion. And we encourage you to leverage our website for support.

References

  1. Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions. https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/breast-changes/dense-breasts, Accessed August 2021
  2. Impact of breast density on the presenting features of malignancy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20853035, Accessed September 2021.
  3. Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions. https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/breast-changes/dense-breasts, Accessed September 2021.
  4. Dense breast tissue: What it means to have dense breasts. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mammogram/in-depth/dense-breast-tissue/art-20123968, Accessed September 2021.
  5. What does it mean to have dense breasts? https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/densebreasts#1, Accessed September 2021.
  6. Common variants in ZNF365 are associated with both mammographic density and breast cancer risk. https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.760, Accessed September 2021.