When doctors factor how at-risk a woman is for breast cancer, they traditionally take two elements into account: age and family history. Now they’re looking at a third element: mammographic density of breast tissue.
According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, women with dense breast tissue – as seen on mammography – are two to five times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with less dense, or fatty, breast tissue. Dense breast tissue – a hereditary trait and/or a hormone-reactive process – can hinder the effectiveness of a mammogram because dense tissue, like a tumor, shows up light in the resulting image.
“Looking at dense breast tissue through mammography is like looking into a cloud—it’s not always clear,” said Lydia Liao, M.D., director of women’s imaging at the Cooper Breast Imaging Program in Voorhees, New Jersey.
That’s why more doctors are recommending extra-sensitive breast imaging devices, like ultrasound and breast MRI, for those patients with denser breast tissue. Both of these screening mechanisms, plus mammography, are available at Cooper, where specially trained breast ultrasound technologists use the best and latest technology available in the region.
“Breast ultrasound looks at the response of different parts of breast tissue to sonar waves. Based on different textures, the tissues generate different results,” Dr. Liao said. This kind of detection is more sensitive than mammography, allowing physicians to see any possible cancerous masses more clearly. The density of the tissue isn’t a factor because the breast doesn’t look cloudy as it would on a mammogram.
Breast ultrasounds allow physicians to see possible cancerous masses more clearly.
Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is another way of detecting tumors in dense tissue and the most sensitive detection method of the three available for screening breast cancer. “It detects cancer in its earliest state, cancers that ultrasound and mammogram can’t detect,” Dr. Liao said. “It also gives you information about lymph nodes and location of the cancer better than other methods of study.”
Like a mammogram, breast magnetic resonance imaging can be recorded, and looks much like a CT scan. Breast MRI uses intravenous contrast and requires that the patient stay still in a flat position for about 20 minutes.
“Considering its benefits for early detection of breast cancer, especially patients who have dense breast, the breast MRI is very significant in diagnosing breast cancer,” Dr. Liao said.
Each type of screening has its benefits and detractions. All three methods combined with tissue sampling (biopsy) capacity, which are available at Cooper University Hospital and the Cooper Cancer Institute, are crucial at detecting breast cancer.
About one in every eight women will develop breast cancer. The Janet Knowles Breast Cancer Center at the Cooper Cancer Institute provides state-of-the-art prevention, detection, and treatment services. For more information on the Cooper Breast Imaging Program, call 1-800-8-COOPER. (800-826-6737).