dense breast tissue

^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Clinical significance

risk factor for breast cancer^[1]
genetically determined
4 categories of mammographic density^[2]
- almost entirely fat (< 25%)
- scattered fibroglandular densities (25-50%)
- heterogenously dense (51-75%)
- extremely dense (>75%)
some states may require informing women whether they have dense breast tissue - and if so, that dense tissue may hide tumors on mammograms & increase one's risk for breast cancer^[3]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Journal Watch 22(21):159, 2002 Boyd NF et al Heritability of mammographic density, a risk factor for breast cancer. N Engl J Med 347:886, 2002 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12239257
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Chen J et al, Projecting absolute invasive breast cancer risk in white women with a model that includes mammographic density. J Natl Cancer Inst 2006, 98:1215 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16954474
Barlow WE et al, Prospective breast cancer risk prediction model for women undergoing screening mammography J Natl Cancer Inst 2006, 98:1204 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16954473
Bondy ML & Newman LA Assessing breast cancer risk: Evolution of the Gail Model. J Natl Cancer Inst 2006, 98:1172 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16954464
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Grady D New Laws Add a Divisive Component to Breast Screening New York Times, Oct 24, 2012 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/health/laws-tell-mammogram-clinics-to-address-breast-density.html
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 17, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2015