In the U.S., almost half of women who are over 40 years old have dense breast tissue. But what does this mean exactly? Women with dense breasts have more dense tissue than fatty tissue, and these areas show up as white, nontransparent areas on a mammogram, making cancer detection more difficult. This year, the FDA updated mammography regulations to require that mammogram facilities notify patients about the density of their breasts, in an effort to further enhance early detection and prevention. Despite concerns about the detection of cancer in women with dense tissue, mammograms continue to be the best tool for breast cancer screening and detection. Learn more about dense breasts.
