For Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, John Shepherd addresses questions about breast density and breast cancer screening.
Q: What exactly is breast density, and why does it matter?
Breast density can be understood in two ways: biologically and practically. From a biological perspective, it refers to having more fibrous tissue in the breast, which makes it stiffer. Women with more of this tissue type face higher breast cancer risk. In practical terms, breast density is detected through mammograms. On a mammogram, dense tissue appears white — and so does cancer. This similarity makes it increasingly difficult for radiologists to identify potential cancers as breast density increases.