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Breast Cancer Blog

By Pam Stephan, About.com Guide to Breast Cancer

Dense Breasts May Hide Breast Cancer on Mammograms

Wednesday January 24, 2007
Mammograms may not show the whole picture when it comes to dense breasts. Breasts with plenty of fatty tissue; usually larger, or post-pregnancy breasts, are more easily imaged on mammograms, and reveal their internal structure clearly. But smaller and firmer breasts don't always give up their secrets on a standard film mammogram. Canadian researchers at Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto now say that breast density could be a risk factor for developing breast cancer. Women with dense breasts are encouraged to do breast self-exams on a regular schedule, to keep a close eye on changes.

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