Are you dense? This question will be answered for thousands of Alaskan women as of September 2024 when they receive their mammogram notification letters. The FDA has mandated all women undergoing mammogram breast screening be notified if they have dense breast tissue or non-dense breast tissue.What does this mean? All mammograms are categorized based on the amount of breast tissue relative to fatty tissue. The more breast tissue, the denser the breast.
Why does this matter? Early detection of breast cancer is critical for improving survival after the diagnosis of breast cancer. The smaller and earlier the cancer, the better the outcome. Dense breast tissue is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. This is both due to it being an independent risk factor for breast cancer, as well as dense breast tissue can mask, or conceal, cancers. This is like trying to find a snowball in a snowstorm.
What can I do if I have dense breast tissue? It turns out, a lot. Since the 1980s, a woman’s risk of dying from breast cancer has decreased markedly, primarily due to the introduction of screening mammography programs and the ability to find early cancers. However, like all medical interventions, mammograms perform better for some women than others. This is particularly true for women with dense breasts.
How can we help find the snowball in the snowstorm? We have options. For the past 20 years or so, multiple supplemental techniques have been evaluated for use in improving breast cancer detection. One of these methods utilizes a regular mammogram but adds IV contrast, similar to what a person receives with a CT scan. This allows the snowball to “light up” and become visible, while “melting away” the surrounding snowstorm. Contrast Enhanced Mammography (CEM) increases the detection of breast cancers, approximating the “gold standard” of breast MRI cancer detection, but avoids many of the pitfalls with breast MRI (discomfort, cost, claustrophobia, time, access).
Although October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I think every day is Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Talk to your provider about what breast cancer screening options are best for you. As a specialist in breast imaging, I am passionate about improving breast cancer screening for all Alaskan women. I may be dense, but I know a lot about helping women avoid getting advanced breast cancer.
— Dr. Kelly Powers
Partner/owner, Northern Lights Imaging and Alaska Imaging
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.