Breast Density is A Breast Cancer Risk Factor
As reported by Dr. Norman Boyd and colleagues of the Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto, breast density itself could be a risk factor for breast cancer.
[The other risk factors include having a close relative with breast cancer, carrying one of the known BRCA breast cancer genes and never having borne a child.]
They found that women with the densest breasts had four to six times the risk of breast cancer compared with women with the fattiest, and easiest-to-image, breasts.
Like in the case of Diane Balma, now director of public policy at the non-profit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, not having any of the other risk factors, felt a lump in her breast 11 years ago at age 30:
“I wasn’t doing self-exams at the time. I just happened to come upon it. It was quite large and pretty deep.”
For women under 40, mammogram is not recommended routinely but Balma went for one where her cancer didn’t show up, so her doctor ordered an ultrasound and barely found a tumor that eventually turned out to be an aggressive type of cancer.
“I decided to have it removed and it was a decision that saved my life. I have always known that dense breast tissue makes breast cancer harder to detect. But I also wondered if it brought a greater risk of breast cancer.”
These were confirmed by the Canadian study that recently came out.
Eventually, Balma had both breasts removed and endured six rounds of chemotherapy and has been cancer-free for 11 years.
Read the rest of Diane Balma’s story here.
[Hat Tip: Angela White]
Tags: breast-cancer, breast-density, breast-imaging, mammography, ultrasoundRelated Stories
POSTED IN: on breast cancer
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