07/04/2025
“𝘔𝘺 𝘔𝘶𝘮’𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘰𝘭𝘥.”— Daughter of Mom with Breast Cancer
This is heartbreaking, and I agree that misdiagnoses should be reduced (if not eliminated) as much as possible.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲: on a mammogram, dense tissue shows up white, just like tumors do. This can make it difficult to spot any abnormalities—it’s like trying to find a snowflake in a snowstorm.
Plus, having dense breasts actually ups the risk of breast cancer. It’s not just that it’s harder to detect; there’s also a slightly higher chance that cancer could develop in the first place.
So, what can you do about it?
» 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. After your mammogram, don’t shy away from asking your doctor if your breasts are dense.
» 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. A mammogram is still your best starting point, even if you might need some extra tests down the line.
» 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆. If breast cancer runs in your family, chat with your doctor about tailored screening options that make sense for you.
» 𝗕𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and get a better understanding of your body; you deserve that.
Having dense breast tissue doesn’t mean something’s wrong; it just means you need to take a more careful approach. A mammogram is key because it sets the stage for any additional screenings and helps catch changes early. Understanding your breast health is empowering. The more you know, the better you can safeguard your health.
So, have you had your mammogram this year? If not, it’s the perfect time to book one and remember to ask about your breast density. Knowledge is power!
