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Every fall, Martin's Chips changes the packaging of its famous Kettle Cook'd Chips and Slender Pop Popcorn to support the PBCC, raising awareness with every bag. Martin's donates 20 cents for every "pink" snack sold to the PBCC's programs and services. Thank you, Martin's!

Knowledge Gaps on Breast Density and Breast Cancer Risk

Robin Seitzman, PhD, MPH Director of Education and Epidemiology Research DenseBreast-Info.org

All breasts contain milk glands, fibrous tissue, and fat. The more glands and fibrous tissue, the denser the breasts. While normal and common, dense breast tissue both increases the risk of developing breast cancer, and for having that cancer go unseen on a mammogram. The denser the breasts, the greater these risks.

From a mammogram, breasts are assigned one of four breast density categories. Compared to women with the least dense breasts (fatty breasts), women with the densest breasts (extremely dense) are at about 4 times higher risk.

A recent study showed that many women underestimate the risk associated with dense breasts. Of nearly 2,000 women in the study, 93% mistakenly believed that having a family history of breast cancer in a mother or sister was a stronger risk factor than having dense breasts. And, 65% mistakenly believed being overweight or obese was a stronger risk factor than having dense breasts. Having dense breasts increases risk similar to having a mother or sister with breast cancer, and more than postmenopausal overweight or obesity and other risk factors.

Women’s healthcare providers also misunderstand breast cancer risk. A recent survey from DenseBreastinfo.org reported that less than half of women’s healthcare providers understood proper use of breast cancer risk assessment tools. And only 19% knew that both mammography/tomosynthesis and MRI should be recommended for screening high-risk women over age 30. A prior study reported that just 29% knew breast cancer risk increases with increasing amount of dense tissue.

Know your density. Know your risk. To find out if you have dense breasts, check the letter you received after your mammogram, or ask your health care provider or the facility where you had your mammogram. Other tests after your mammogram, including MRI, or contrast-enhanced mammography or ultrasound if an MRI is not possible, can detect breast cancer better in women with dense breasts. Talk to your doctor about whether one of these additional tests is right for you.

2023 with the PA Breast Cancer Coalition