By Dr. Graham A. Colditz
Siteman Cancer Center

Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, many women will begin to see important new information about their breast health on their mammogram reports.

A new federal rule now requires that women be informed about the density of their breasts following their mammograms. Breast density is a measure of how much breast tissue and connective tissue is in the breast compared to how much fat tissue. Higher-density breasts have higher amounts of breast and connective tissue. Lower-density breasts have more fat tissue.

“Having dense breast tissue is very common, affecting almost half of women getting screening mammograms,” said Dr. Debbie Bennett, chief of breast imaging at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “And dense breast tissue is not a cause for worry or concern. It can, however, mean your mammogram is harder for the radiologist to read, and it also slightly increases your overall risk for developing breast cancer at some point.”

With the new rule, women will get a message on their mammogram results that says either, “Your breast tissue is dense” or “Your breast tissue is not dense.”

Because denser breasts may make it harder to see abnormal areas on a mammogram, some women may get extra screening tests that can provide other images of the breasts.

“Depending on how dense your breast tissue is and whether you have any other risk factors for developing breast cancer – such as family history of breast cancer – your doctor may recommend that you have additional imaging tests done to screen for breast cancer,” Bennett said. “This could include MRI, ultrasound or contrast-enhanced mammograms.”

Such testing can be covered by insurance, but it can vary from plan to plan. So, it’s important to talk to your insurance company or health-care provider about specific costs.

Mammograms, and any additional screening tests, can help find breast cancer early when it can be more effectively treated. While breast cancer is the second most deadly cancer in women, when found and treated in its earliest stage, it can have a very high rate of survival, with over 99% of women living at least five years after being diagnosed.

No matter their level of breast density, all women should get a mammogram every year, with most starting at age 40. Women at higher risk of breast cancer may need to begin screening earlier, so it’s important to talk to a doctor about your risk factors for breast cancer. There are benefits of doing this at any age, but ideally it should be done by age 30.

Taking healthy steps to help prevent breast cancer is also important, regardless of breast density, Bennett said.

Around half of breast cancer cases could be avoided with healthy behaviors. Most of these may sound familiar, but they can have an important impact on risk – and even small changes can lead to large benefits over time. These healthy behaviors include:

• Keeping weight gain in check
• Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans
• Not drinking alcohol
• Being physically active
• Staying smoke-free or getting smoke-free

Breast cancer touches many of us to some degree, whether it’s personally or through family or loved ones. A positive note, though, is that there are steps to help manage or lower the risk. And Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a great reminder of that and the benefits of working toward better breast health.

It’s your health. Take control.

Dr. Graham A. Colditz, associate director of prevention and control at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is an internationally recognized leader in cancer prevention and the creator of the free prevention tool YourDiseaseRisk.com.