Dense breasts can increase risk of cancer

Breast and connective tissue are denser than fat and this difference shows up on a mammogram see images below. By looking at your mammogram or the measure of breast density, your health care provider may conclude you have dense breasts. The mammogram images below show a range of breast density.

Some breasts are mostly fat fatty breasts and some breasts are mostly breast and connective tissue dense breasts. Learn more about breast density and mammography. Women with dense breasts are times more likely to get breast cancer than women with fatty breasts [ ].

Learn More. High breast density is common. In the U. Breast density varies greatly by age and weight. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older. Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect. Most women have some risk factors, but most women do not get breast cancer.

If you have breast cancer risk factors, talk with your doctor about ways you can lower your risk and about screening for breast cancer.

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See more conditions. Dense breast tissue: What it means to have dense breasts. Products and services. Dense breast tissue: What it means to have dense breasts Dense breast tissue is detected on a mammogram. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Open pop-up dialog box Breast density — The four levels Close. Breast density — The four levels Breast tissue is composed of milk glands, milk ducts and supportive tissue dense breast tissue and fatty tissue nondense breast tissue.

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