Breast density is often inherited, but other factors can influence it. Factors associated with higher breast density include using menopausal hormone therapy and having a low body mass index. Factors associated with lower breast density include increasing age and having children.
Can I change my breast density? No — breast density is determined by genetics, age, menopause status and family history. Weight gain and certain medications can also influence your breast density.
Women with dense breasts have a higher chance of getting breast cancer. The more dense your breasts are, the higher your risk.
Having dense breasts affects you in two ways: Increases the chance that breast cancer may go undetected by a mammogram, since dense breast tissue can mask a potential cancer. Increases your risk of breast cancer, though doctors aren't certain why.
Estrogen plus progestin therapy increases both mammographic density and breast cancer incidence.
Conversely, a decrease in the proportion of breast density and increase in the proportion of fat are associated with decreased risk of breast cancer. Pettersson and colleagues [1] report that the greater the non-dense breast area (regardless of the dense breast area), the lower the breast cancer risk.
Having dense breasts is normal; it is not a medical condition itself, and it does not cause symptoms. You can't tell whether or not you have dense tissue by feeling the breasts.
Understand what it means to have dense breast tissue
Glandular tissue is more dense (thicker and heavier) than fatty tissue. If your tissue is more glandular than fatty, you have dense breasts. “Density has nothing to do with breast weight, size or shape,” Dr. Attai says.
“It's also very clear that breast density tends to be highest in younger women, premenopausal women, and for almost all women, it tends to go down with age.
“With conventional mammography, while we can be as accurate as 98% in a fatty breast, our sensitivity can drop to as low as 30% in women with extremely dense breasts, which is why supplementary screening with ultrasound or MRI—depending on the patient's personal risk factors—can be such an important aid in finding ...
In general, smaller-breasted women tend to have dense breasts and larger-breasted women tend to have more fat in their breasts.
If you have dense breast tissue and are at an increased risk of breast cancer due to a genetic mutation or other factors, your care team may recommend alternating MRIs and mammograms every six months. “That way we'll be sure to catch any abnormalities as early as possible,” Cohen says.
This is different for individual women, but is generally higher when you are younger and tends to reduce as you age. Most women below the age of 50 have increased breast density compared with those aged over 50. International research shows that about 25% of women over the age of 60 continue to have dense breasts.
And while you can't change your breast density, you may manage your risk by taking proactive measures and developing healthy lifestyle habits. Of the many risk factors for breast cancer, one that develops naturally and is very common is dense breasts. Up to 50 percent of all women aged 40 and older have dense breasts.
Eat A Healthy Diet
Women who follow a regular Western diet of high-fat dairy products, red meat consumption, and high-sugar foods are at greater risk of maintaining dense breast tissue and are more inclined to develop breast cancer.
Combination of higher intakes of vitamin D and calcium (≥100 IU/d and ≥750 mg/d, respectively) were associated with a reduction of breast densities (OR, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.15–0.54) compared with those consuming <100 IU/d and <750 mg/d.
On average, older women have lower density breast tissue than do younger women. The greatest change in density occurs during the menopause years. Breast density also changes with certain types of hormone therapies, such as hormone treatments for menopause.
Our study observed an approximate 8% increase in the relative amount of mammographic density with high alcohol intake, which is within range of other breast cancer risk factors known to modify mammographic density (range 2-10%) [1,2].
Studies suggest that vitamin D may reduce breast cancer risk and dietary vitamin D intake has been associated with reduced breast density.
The perkier and firmer your breasts feel, the more dense they may be, but there are ligaments and other tissues that cause hardness or lumps that are unrelated to the amount of fibrous tissue.
In general, breasts tend to become less dense as women get older, especially after menopause when the glandular tissue atrophies and the breast may appear to have more fat.
Breasts can feel heavy and sore for many reasons. Menstruation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding are common reasons, but infections and cysts may also cause discomfort. Less commonly, pain may stem from cancer. Many different conditions can cause breast pain.
Breast MRI is the best imaging modality. However, breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as an additional screening method is typically reserved for high-risk patients. High risk patients are women who have an elevated lifetime risk of breast cancer.
Level 4 breast density is the most dense breast tissue, and is composed of more than 75% glandular tissue and stroma.
Healthcare providers usually use a local anesthetic or general anesthetic for breast biopsies, so people who undergo a biopsy experience little discomfort. You may feel a pinch or sting when your healthcare provider injects local anesthesia, and you'll likely feel some pressure during the procedure, which is normal.