Women from the so-called dense breasts, when they develop cancer, have the same chances of survival as those with more fat in their breasts, according to a study published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Until now, women have been warned that particularly densely woven breasts are also more likely to develop cancer. In addition, such a structure of the breast makes it difficult to detect a tumor during mammography. This mainly applies to young women whose breasts are dominated by glandular tissue. In mammograms they are almost all white and it is difficult to spot subtle lesions that also appear as bright spots.
The latest research conducted on over 9 women find that if cancer is found in those with thick breasts even later, the chances of successful treatment are similar to those of other women.
“The tumor in thick breasts is neither more aggressive nor more difficult to treat,” emphasizes Dr. Karla Kerlikowske of the University of California in San Francisco. She adds that only some women with densely woven breasts develop cancer.
Breast density usually decreases with age. While it is high in half of women before the age of 50, it occurs later in only one in three.
However, there are no standards for measuring density. It largely depends on the individual assessment of the examining radiologist. According to the American College of Radiology, 10 percent. Women’s breasts are made up almost entirely of adipose tissue, while the same amount of women have extremely dense breasts, most at risk of cancer.
The rest of the ladies have an intermediate breast density, but their arrangement may be different. In 40 percent of women, densely woven tissues are dispersed, and in another 40 percent. they are more grouped in one place, which can also make it difficult to detect a tumor if it is located in that place.
Dr. Karla Kerlikowske announces that within a year recommendations will be made as to how, depending on the density, mammography should be performed to increase the detection of the tumor. (PAP)
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