Hi, I wasn't sure where to post this, but I had a mammogram last week (started at 35 because mom had cancer) and I'm 50 now, 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?
Thank you

My friend, who was 49 at the time, had something similar happen. They called her back for more pictures because of increased density. Someone who I work with, age 57, just got called back too. She has very dense breasts. A cousin of mine got called back due to dense breasts, age 55. Weight gain may have something to do with it as well.

I have actually lost weight, I am slightly overweight (about 7 or 8 lbs.) but I got a call back and was told I have dense breasts also. I also have heard that your breasts were supposed to become less dense with age. Maybe it's when your meno and the estrogen levels drop.(?)

I am 47 and have dense breasts. I think that breasts become less dense after meno, but some ladies will always have dense breasts. I know many women in their 50's with dense breasts. I am so tired of worrying about my breasts. Maybe the media is making it worse (?).

hello ladies,
dense breast is common among women. 70% of women will develop dense breast. I am menopausal and still get density. I had a surprise last november to be called back as I had more fibrocystic changes (no more period for 11 months) and I had a breast reduction and I lost 28 lbs. So DENSITY IS NOT RELATED TO YOUR WEIGHT, TO YOUR AGE, TO CANCER OR TO ANY BREAST DISEASE OR TO BEING MENOPAUSAL.
We are called back because dense breast create a white cloud on an xray that prevents the radiologist to do a reading. It would be like taking a picture of you and the photograph would be calling you back to redo the picture because there would be a white film over it. Except they need to use magnifying views in order to go past the white cloud. So dense breast is just to let you know that you will be called back because the mammo they took does NOT SHOW ANYTHING.
Relax, 70% of women are called back for that. Easy for me to say but it is true. BtW, I still worry when I am called back despite the knowledge that I have.
take care from one boob worrier and warrior to others,
Mrs Buff

Thank you Mrs. Buff!! You keep making me feel better every time I read your posts. I know that many many women have dense breasts, and if there is a slight change in the density they will call back. Most of the time it is just......dense breast tissue!! Thanks for putting everything into proper perspective.

Fellow boob worrier.....
twogirls

hello Twogirls,
I am glad I can be here for you the same way the first night I got on P.S and was panicky, Crazy in CA reassured me and I was able to go to sleep for the first time in weeks without thinking I was dying. I want to give back what I was given when I felt so terrible.
Keep posting or PM me any time
take care
Mrs Buff

I meant to ask what PM means??? Yesterday I got a "pop up" message from you, but was not sure how to respond. Is that what a PM means?
twogirls

yes. You can click on the person name of any post and chose the option to go to their profile to read about them or to click on send a personal message. It will pop on your screen. Click then on the blue title of the message and you will get into your inbox where you will be able to respond.
there you go. What a wonderful site. Nobody else but you can read the message. I chose that option because I realized that we were hoarding the post for just answering back and forth. that's all
take care
Mrs Buff

It appears to me as though many women in peri get call backs. Does anyone have any statistics?
twogirls

one woman out of 4 gets call back. out of that number, 75 % get called back to get better views nothing more. Out of the 25% who have something showing on their xrays, 80% of them prove to be nothing. out of the 20% who need biopsies, 75% of the biopsies reveal nothing.
there you go. God I hope I go those numbers right. I used to have such a great memory!
Mrs Buff

come to think of it, we might be getting a negative number if we really worked hard at it!!!

good day to everyone,
Is dense breasts the same as fibrocystic breast???

bonjour Soul Survivor,
Dense breast is connected to estrogen dominance and because of our nutrition and environnement we are more exposed to it. Fibrocystic condition is developpement of cysts and fibro mass which in a way connected to density as it is due as well to estrogen excess in our system but having a dense breast is not necessarly synonym of having fibrocystic condition. Some women may have a cyst here and there with no dense breasts. Some others may have a fibroadenoma and a cyst here and there with density. Again, the issue with density is that it prevents to do an accurate reading of the breast.
take care
Mrs Buff

Please forgive me for obsessing. Why would somebody who has always had dense breasts suddenly be called back for dense breast issues and extra pictures of a breast? What would make the density change in order to prompt a call back?
twogirls

Twogirls, sit down and listen carefully. No machine is perfect! Techicians are not perfect either he/she may not have squizzed your breast enough! Your breast changes all the time in shape, and in density, and the same way the earth rotate how again? (oh man! don't remember my geography). it is just it, just because of hormones and estrogen dominance. Anyway, It is not because you have a dense breast that you are called back. You are called back because the density prevents them from reading the xray.
Now, you are obsessing and I understand but you need to change now your focus away from your breast. NOTHING WRONG WITH IT.
R-E-L-A-X-
It is the last post I will do on this issue as i believe now that I am contributing to your worrying.
take care dear 2Girls
Mrs Buff

thanks again. I am now reading the posts because I want to help others in need the way you have helped me.

Thank you Mrs Buff as i am due to return to the technician after nodular density was seen on my mammogram last month, i am having an ultrasound next friday on both breasts as the density was seen. I recall several years ago i was called back for an ultrasound and it just revealed fluid filled cysts, no surgery to remove or anything.
But here's the thing that is kind of scaring me, when the NP from my ob/gyn office mailed me the script they typed 'Abnormal Mammogram' as the reason the ultrasound is being done, although i know everything will turn out ok.

I had that too, even though when I had the ultrasound I was already told my mammo was deemed "normal." I think they do it for insurance purposes. Insurance won't pay for an ultrasound unless there is a reason (??).
twogirls

hello April,
Abnormal mammogram is a protocol script to indicate that they need to take closer view. If they had seen any mass, it would read : mass. if they had seen anything, they would indicate what they have seen.
Abnormal mammogram is a code to indicate : magnified views. Most likely because of density and no clear reading is possible hence the term : abnormal mammogram. If you breast is really dense (I assume you are fairly young, like in peri hence your breast is at its highest density making taking closer pictures useless. It is perfectly normal (sorry about the pun) but honestly, it is even less worrisome as the ultrasound is to check what the mammogram could not read. If the mammogram had read a mass, they would have called it "supiscious lump or mass". Abnormal means, nothing there but not clear reading because of density. ultasound will determine if there is something boucing back on the echo of the sound.
send me a pm if you need more reassurance or anyone whom you feel comfortable with.
do not worry. and do not google
Mrs buff

Thank you again, that reassured me!

I am really glad April. Boy! you need a nice glass of wine now. IF you have access to a great white, I am having right now Clos du Bois, Sauvignon blanc. really great but in about one more glass will be singing responding to these posts or be silly. I am down in Florida. I hope you can get it from where you are. I am French and I love this American wine.
Mrs Buff

Well i'll have to settle for beer instead! (wish i had some of that wine, though!) I am in the northeastern part of NYS and it's 28 degrees, we are lucky to be missing that snow storm in Washington DC, Baltimore , and Philadelphia,

beer is great too as long as you are feeling better. It is the idea.
Keep me posted on your test dear April.
Mrs Buff

You betcha!!

Hi April,

Sorry to come in on this a bit late - have been away over the past while - but I just want to reassure you too - I got a call back a couple of weeks ago after my first mammo which was done in December (this is Ireland, and they don't start screening till 50 - I got my first call at 52....) anyway, my report said 'abnormal' - and I freaked big time. The only thing that kept me sane was this board and the wonderful, wise ladies on it! But yes, abnormal simply means they can't pass it as normal, and often because they just don't have a clear enough image. In my case, it was a dense patch and once they did a compression mammo and squished the dense bit flat (funnily enough these extra mammos were a lot less painful than I found the screening one when I'd expected the reverse...) I learned that I was OK. The ultrasound they did then confirmed it.

And I echo mrsbuffs suggestion of a nice glass of wine!!

Will be thinking of you from across the big pond.

Mxx

This has been a great day and the beat goes on!
Thanks marlene, more reassurance is what i need and so appreciate, you too mrsbuff, you would both be happy to know that i had my ultrasound today and it was fine, just fine, i do have some tender areas in both outer breasts, probably cysts, and i did see some on the screen as well.
All in all great report and i couldn't be more thrilled!
And a big thanks to you again, mrsbuff!!

if any additional comfort maybe taken from this then so be it:

I have dense breasts with particular density on the right side. My first mammogram was followed buy a "compression study" (an extra icky pressing very hard mammogram) and a sonogram. At one point I was sent for a breast mri on same right breast as I am the daughter of a BC survivor and they are very careful with me.

I now have a sonogram after my regular mammogram on a routine basis. If your insurance co covers this, great. If not, and you are lucky enough to be able to afford it, I would encourage you to add this diagnostic. For those of you with densities I do really believe that sonograms save lives. Needless to say I have been petrefied by the test many times and almost need the trash can at the ready becuase the anxiety makes me feel like I am going to throw up. But... we have to do what we have to do, right?

With love for y'all

pooks

April,
I am really happy for you as I know what a relief it can be. Be aware that in the future, even if you have now this baseline, that they might continue to be extra cautious as your breast is dense and you obviously might have fibrocystic tendancies that they will most likely do extra testing. It is because our breast changes all the times. I still worry when I get called back for extra test.
For NOW, ENJOY A GLASS OF BEER OR CHAMPAGNE MAYBE AS WE ARE CLOSE TO VALENTINE'S DAY
take care
Mrs buff

Hi April,

So pleased to hear your news - such a relief! As someone who had a fright recently, I can definitely go along with that! I'll raise a nice big glass in your honour!

Mx