Hi, I had a mammogram last week (started at 35 because mom had cancer) and it was always normal, only had to go back when the picture was a little blurry once. I put on 25 pounds this year (ouch!) and this time, I got a letter saying I was normal but they check "dense tissue". I don't ever remember that. It said I could talk to my doctor about an ultrasound. Aren't breasts supposed to get less dense as we age? Could it be the weight I put on?
I will call my doctor for her opinion but it made me nervous? Any advice or similar stories?
Thanks11

I always kind of thought that was true as well. However, apparently I have moderately dense breasts and I got called back once and had an ultrasound, I guess I have a cyst, it freaked me out. This year I had no problems. Whether or not it is true that your breasts get less dense as you age, apparently yours aren't yet. Ask them if they have always been dense and they just never told you. I'm also a little chubby so maybe that does play a part in it. Sorry I don't have any definitive answers for you but I saw no one had answered yet and wanted you to at least get one.

Have a good night and I wouldn't worry. Unless they told you they were checking for something, it may be they just want to get a baseline ultrasound to make sure there is nothing there. I would just ask (well, I probably wouldn't I'm phobic, but a normal person would ask, lol).

Take care
Mich

Thanks, I haven't been too pleased with this group the last couple of years. They "lost" my previous xrays because someone with my name, also a patient, was moving and asked for her xrays. They gave her mine and there wasn't a forwarding address. So, except for what's written, I was starting over again. I also noticed, saving last years form, density wasn't one of the checkmarks, I'll have to ask about that when I call, were they before and they never said anything....not a good thing with cancer in the family. Well, I will call my doctor Monday, but it was peculiar to me if was never mentioned before. Thanks for your reply.

I always had issues with dense breasts. I had to have an ultrasound after a mammo because of it. The technician said it was actually a good thing because she said I would take longer to start sagging than other women. A couple of years ago, I had a TERRIBLE time with painful breasts, then practically overnight the denseness went away. My breasts feel like bread dough now. I definitely preferred them the other way.

as we age our breasts go through changes and its very common to see the word "dense breast tissue" on a mamogram reading,, also when you get older you will start to suffer from fybro cystic disease. what you dont want to see on the reading is micro-calcifications or mass or newly forming density. trust me ,, this from someone who was diagnosed with breast cancer 5 years ago. Also I would make sure that next time you get a mamo go to a center that is doing them digitally ,, I believe this imaging technology will end breast cancer deaths as we know them .. already most breast cancers caught early are 100% curable. here is a comparison with normal mamography and digiatal

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...sa%3DN%26um%3D1

My doctor wasn't in but should be tommorow. I will ask the staff to mail me my written report if she isn't. I was worried about "new density" because it was never mentioned before. My doctor is pretty up on things, I can't imagine she would let that go, but I also work in a doctor's office and know mail/faxes get lost and she might not see it. She never got a cholestoral fax.
I read that weight/menopause changes density, usually less but sometimes more, they aren't sure why. I think this place did have digital mamography, the machine seemed the same, but the pictures came up on a screen in the room. I don't remember that in the past. They also do ultrasounds which would be convenient. I think my insurance would cover it with 2 relatives with cancer, I will see.
I know they feel you wouldn't understand the whole report, but I would have liked to have received more than "normal" and "dense tissue". And shouldn't any woman 50 or above get one with a close family member with cancer? (the insurance companies would hate me!)