Dense breast is a breast that has a large amount of glandular tissue, which is the tissue responsible for milk production. Dense breasts are more common in young women under 40 years of age. This genetic characteristic of the breast is detected by mammography. It is not possible to assess breast density by touch.
On mammography, the dense breast may favor results false negatives, that is, there may be some lesion in the breast and the examination gives a normal result.
This is because on mammography the fat appears dark, while the dense tissue is white. The tumors, when present, also appear in White and can thus go unnoticed by the doctor. The more fat the breast has, the darker the image and the easier it is to visualize the tumor.
In such cases, the prevention and diagnosis of breast cancer is done with complementary exams. In addition to mammography, the mastologist may request breast ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging of the breasts, or contrast mammography.
These tests are important methods for diagnosing breast cancer in women under 40 who have dense breasts.
Read too:
Is dense breast cancer?
Does dense breast have a cure? What is the treatment?
