Women who have dense breasts have long been told that this increases their risk of breast cancer and makes it more difficult to detect–a sort of catch-22. Sometimes additional imaging such as an MRI is recommended.
Dense Breast Tissue Is Common
But a new study points out that nearly half of all women have dense breast tissue, and most of them are not at increased risk. So who needs additional screening?
When Extra Screening Is Helpful
The study shows that best results are from screening women who have a high risk of breast cancer in addition to dense breasts. Those with a five year risk of 2.5% or higher as determined by the BCSC (Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium) should discuss additional screening with their doctors.
According to the study, if 694 women received extra tests, one additional cancer would be found.
