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Christina_BCNA's avatar
Christina_BCNA
Community Manager
3 days ago

🌼Why Knowing Your Breast Density Matters

Understanding your breast density is an empowering part of taking charge of your breast health. Breast density refers to the mix of fatty, glandular and connective tissue seen on a mammogram, and some people naturally have more dense tissue than others. 

💗 Why Breast Density Matters

Research shows that people with dense breasts might have a higher risk of breast cancer, and dense tissue can make cancer harder to detect on a mammogram because both appear white on the image.

🩺How Do You Know Your Breast Density?

The only way to know for sure is through a breast screening mammogram, where a radiologist assigns a density category. Many services use the BI‑RADS scale (A to D), with C and D considered dense.

🌸 If You Have Dense Breasts

Breast density is just one part of your overall breast cancer risk. If your mammogram shows Category C or D, it can be helpful to chat with your GP about what this means for you and whether additional imaging might be recommended.

 

Knowing your breast density isn’t meant to create worry - it’s meant to empower you. Awareness helps you ask informed questions, understand your personal risk, and take confident steps in your breast health journey. You deserve clear information, supportive care and the knowledge that you’re not alone as you navigate it all. If you have any questions about your breast density check in with your GP or feel free to call our Helpline on 1800 500 258.

👉You can read more on breast density here

density

1 Reply

  • arpie's avatar
    arpie
    Member
    2 days ago

    Make sure your friends/daughters/grand daughters all know their breast density - BreastScreenNSW (and other states) are now REQUIRED to advise clients of their breast density, so they are aware that it may be 'hiding' their cancer (as happened to me.)

    After I gave them a 2nd chance to 'spot it' (following my surgery)  they gleefully told me that there WAS NO cancer in the same image they'd missed it on, 6 months earlier ....

    I then had ROBUST conversations with BSNSW, even receiving a call from the Head Honcho & discussing it 'in person' ... that it was ESSENTIAL that women KNOW if they have Dense Breast Tissue & of the risks that Dense Breast Tissue entails!

    Being diagnosed LATER (thru missing the BC) may lead to a FAR more serious diagnosis, even Stage 4, straight up.

    They say only younger women have dense breasts.  That is RUBBISH, yet they still spew out the same misinformation.

    I was 65 (hardly young!) when I was diagnosed after 2 mammograms and an ultrasound had missed it (and they still weren't certain it was BC - but at least had suggested a biopsy, which confirmed it.)

    Following 7 years of Hormone Suppression meds - you can read a newspaper thru my scans now, as there is NO density showing at all!

    I often wonder just HOW many years had they had missed it?  I'd been attending the Rural Buses for 20 years - but they only have 2D Mammogram machines, not 3D which are MUCH better at detecting BC even in dense breast tissue - but you REALLY need an Ultrasound every time as well, if not further more advanced imaging.

    I will NEVER attend a rural BreastScreen bus again!