Dense Breasts

[Teri48]

I have a Density Code 4 for my breasts...I have read that dense breasts are usully found in young women.  I am 48 and have not been menstruating for 2 years.  I've gone through menapause rather easy.  I have had an aspiration of a benign cyst in my right breast and now face follow up from a screening mammogram on my left breast, where they saw 2 nodular densities.
1) How common are dense breasts in older women?
2) What are the chances of these nodular densities being malignant?

PS:  Sometimes my breasts feel full and sore and I have gained over 30lbs  in the past 2 years. I am very white and can trace many blue-purple veins through out both my breasts...sometimes the one around the left nipple is enlarged.

What are your thoughts?

[eljaydoubleu]

I went in for my baseline mammogram last week (i am 39).

I was called yesterday and told that because my breasts are so dense, the film couldn't be read properly and I need to return for a sonogram view.

I've read conflicting information on getting a followup sonogram for dense breasts. Some sources say that it should only be used as a diagnostic and not screening tool and only if there is something suspicious on the mammogram film. Other sources say that it is becoming more accepted to use the sonogram as a screening tool for dense breast situations.

Should I be concerned? (I am).

[Chit]

Mammograms, even for dense breasts, I think are still a necessary screening tool. That said, you might consider also a breast MRI. Although they produce more false-positives, breast MRIs have been shown to be able to detect breast cancer while they are still too tiny for any other screening methods to detect even for dense breasts. Like mammograms, go to a center that does a lot of breast MRI since the skill and experience in reading by the breast imaging doctor makes all the difference.

[Belleview Teacher]

I am 58 and still have dense breasts.  I have had them since I was quite young, and also had numerous cysts aspirated over the years.  It is my belief that those of us with dense breasts need to be extra vigilant because a tumor is often missed.  Since I was 40, I have had annual mammograms and frequent ultrasounds, but a tumor was overlooked until it was 1.1 cm in size. Good luck.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear Teri48:  Dense breast tissue is most common in young women but it is an individual thing and some women just have dense breast tissue.  Based on your other post, there is not enough information to characterize these nodules.  Very often, these disappear with spot compression.  However, it is important to follow up.