If My Breasts Are Dense, Am I at Higher Risk for Breast Cancer?

— -- Question: If my breasts are dense, does that increase my risk for breast cancer?

Answer: When a doctor looks at a mammogram, he or she sees areas that are white or dense tissue, and black, which is primarily fat tissue. Studies now suggest that women who have primarily dense tissue visible on the mammogram are up to five-fold greater risk of getting breast cancer than women who have primarily dark or fatty tissue in their mammograms.

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