Breast cancer symptoms: Women unaware that breast density is an increased risk factor - The Independent

Dense bosom insubstantial poses up to 4 times higher hazard of processing breast cancer. However, a caller survey has shown that galore women are unaware of the risks of bosom density.

Dense breasts refers to breasts that are composed of much fibrous and glandular insubstantial compared to fatty tissue, and tin beryllium detected portion undergoing a mammogram.

The study, which was published successful Jama Network Open connected 23 January, surveyed 1,858 women ages 40 to 76 years from 2019 to 2020 who had precocious undergone mammography, had nary past of bosom cancer, and had heard of bosom density.

It assessed women’s knowing of bosom density arsenic a important bosom crab hazard compared to different good known hazard factors, specified arsenic having a comparative with bosom cancer, being overweight oregon obese, drinking much than 1 alcoholic beverage per day, ne'er having children, and having a anterior bosom biopsy.

Despite bosom density being associated with a 1.2 to 4 times higher hazard of processing bosom cancer, according to the study, fewer women perceived bosom density to beryllium a beardown idiosyncratic hazard factor. Instead, 93 per cent of women saw household past arsenic posing the top risk, followed by 65 per cent of women who said that being overweight oregon obese was a greater hazard than bosom density.

Of the 61 women who were interviewed, lone six of them described bosom density arsenic contributing to bosom crab risk. Although, astir women did correctly enactment that bosom density could marque mammograms harder to read.

When asked astir what they could instrumentality to trim their bosom crab risk, astir one-third of women said that they weren’t definite if it was imaginable to trim their bosom crab risk, oregon they were unaware of what actions they could take.

However, determination are galore actions radical tin instrumentality to trim their hazard of processing bosom cancer. A bosom screening, besides known arsenic a mammogram, is an x-ray representation of the bosom utilized to cheque for bosom crab successful women. A mammogram tin observe different invisible signs oregon symptoms of bosom crab that cannot beryllium felt, oregon tin cheque for bosom crab aft a lump oregon different signs of bosom crab has been detected.

The American Cancer Society recommends women betwixt the ages 45 to 54 should get a mammogram each year. Women betwixt 40 and 44 besides person the enactment to commencement aboriginal screening, and those who are 55 and older tin power to a mammogram each different twelvemonth if they take to bash so.

Nearly fractional of each women who are 40 and older who get mammograms are recovered to person dense breasts, per the National Cancer Institute. Breast density is often inherited, but it tin besides beryllium recovered successful women who are younger, are taking hormone replacement therapy, oregon person a little assemblage weight.

While bosom density tin marque it much hard to construe a mammogram, a newer benignant of mammogram called integer bosom tomosynthesis – oregon 3D mammography – has precocious appeared to beryllium much adjuvant successful women with dense breasts.

Other studies person shown that imaging tests similar an ultrasound oregon a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tin assistance find immoderate bosom cancers that can’t beryllium seen connected mammograms. Experts person not yet firmly suggested women with dense breasts should person further screening, according to the Recommendation Statement connected Breast Cancer Screening by the US Preventive Services Task Force.

People who person dense breasts should speech to their wellness attraction supplier astir idiosyncratic risks of processing bosom cancer.