What does having dense breasts mean?

You may have heard this term when looking for information about medical tests such as mammography or ultrasound. But what does it mean to have dense breasts? Below we explain what this term consists of.

A common comment that is made and heard when talking about mammograms or mammograms is why some women have “dense breasts”. This is a Very vague term and not all women understand exactly what it refers to, or what implications they have for their study, surveillance or treatment. Perhaps when you heard it, you felt a little afraid or anxious.

But don't worry, here we explain what it means to have dense breasts and what is the relevance of this term.

Breast structure

Let's start by learning more about what our breasts look like inside.

The breasts are made up of a mix of different types of tissue, including:

• Las glands And their Ducts. They are responsible for the production, storage and transportation of breast milk.
  
• El connective or fibrous tissue (fibroglandular tissue). It acts as a support for glands and ducts. It is responsible for giving the breasts their shape.

Both types of tissues will be stimulated by different factors, such as hormones and the environment. These factors can cause changes in our breasts, such as changes in their consistency or size.

How our breasts change at different times

This is why when you are close to starting your Menstrual period, your breasts may slightly increase in size and feel tender and inflamed. This is because higher levels of estrogen stimulate your breast tissue, causing them to increase in size.

When a woman has a Baby, it stimulates the release of a hormone called prolactin, which is responsible for promoting the production of breast milk in the breast glands. At the same time, this hormone causes an increase in breast size and tenderness.

In the same way, the composition of the breasts changes over the years. In young women, breasts are usually composed of a larger proportion of dense fibrous tissue, making the breasts look firmer and more consistent.

On the other hand, as we age older, this fibrous tissue is replaced by a greater proportion of fat, giving the breasts a softer consistency and shape.

This transition from fibrous to fatty tissue is also driven by the effect of hormones, with events such as Menopause that cause changes in women's hormone secretion patterns.

Dense breasts

By understanding the role that hormones play in our bodies, and how they can change the consistency and composition of our breasts, we will better understand what it means when we hear that someone has “dense” breasts.

El fibrous tissue, unlike fatty tissue, doesn't look as transparent on a mammogram. This can result in a whitish, opaque image, while fatty tissue is seen more clearly.

When a woman has a lot of fibrous tissue (or is said to have dense breasts) it is more difficult to assess the rest of the tissue, ducts and glands. Therefore, this becomes an obstacle when diagnosing breast injuries or disorders.

For this reason, in women who have breasts with these characteristics, they will choose to perform a breast ultrasound as a complement. Unlike what happens with a mammogram, this dense fibrous tissue does not change the way in which ultrasound sound waves are captured.

I have dense breasts: ultrasound or mammogram?

The most common will be to perform a breast ultrasound in Young women (usually under 30 years old). This is because your breasts usually have a composition with a higher proportion of fibrous tissue that looks opaque and dense on a mammogram.

It should be emphasized that this will not be exclusive to young women. It may happen that the breasts of a woman over 30 or 40 years old are difficult to assess on a mammogram in the presence of abundant dense and fibrous tissue, that is, if you have dense breasts. Therefore, a breast ultrasound may also be needed in these cases.

The study of Eva Center thermography can be practiced on women with dense breasts.

Is it dangerous to have dense breasts?

In addition, it is important to understand that having dense breasts It's not a risk factor for cancer, nor is it related to a higher rate of complications or adverse effects.

Having dense breasts is only one characteristic of the breasts that modifies the diagnostic scheme to be carried out. It's important to understand this as a way to be better informed about our breast health.

In short, having dense breasts means that your breasts have a higher proportion of dense fibrous tissue, which responds to the effect of hormones. This tissue acts as a support for the rest of the ducts and glands contained in your breasts.

Fibrous tissue can make it difficult to get a mammogram, as it looks so dense and opaque in the exam, that it doesn't allow the rest of your breast tissue to be evaluated. In that case, you may need a breast ultrasound to complement your evaluation.

Having dense breasts is not a risk factor to develop breast cancer, nor does it mean a more complicated or difficult evolution.

Even so, do not hesitate to approach your family doctor or gynecologist to clarify any additional questions you may have regarding this topic. In Eva Center we can give you more guidance in this regard.

References
1. National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and treatment. Full Guideline. National Collaborating Center for Cancer. London: NICE; 2009.

2. ACOG Committee on Gynecologic Practice. Committee Opinion: Role of mammography in the Screening and Diagnostic of Breast Masses. Obstetric-Gynecologist VOL. 107, no. 5, May 2006:1213-1220.

3. Compendium of Breast Pathology First Edition, 2002, ISBN 970-721, Reserved Rights 2002, Secretariat of Health General Directorate of Reproductive Health Number 213, 7th floor. Chapultepec Morales Col. Miguel Hidalgo Delegation C.P. 11750 Mexico City

4. Calderaro F, Fernandez Fariña, Guillermo Colmenares Arreaza. Cyto-imagenological-histological correlation in breast pathology. Experience at the Dr. F.A. Risquez Hospital. Venezuelan Journal of Oncology.

5. Fernandez-Cid et al., Mastology 2nd edition Ed. Mason. 2000. Clinical Review.

6. American College of Radiology (ACR). ACR BI-RADS, 1st edition, in ACR: Breast Imaging Reporting Data System, breast imaging atlas, Reston, VA. American College of Radiology; 2003.

7. Republic of Colombia, National Institute of Cancerology ESE. Recommendations for management with adjuvant hormone therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer for Colombia. Bogota: INC; 2010.