Knowing Your Breast Density Helps Prevent Cancer

From The Atlantic

KNOW YOUR BREAST DENSITY. If your breasts are dense, your mammogram won't find up to half of cancers, and you should have an additional test with your mammogram each year (breast ultrasound or MRI, depending on your risk factors) if you want to be more effectively screened. Your density information is usually included in the official report from your mammogram, so ask your doctor. If it's not in the report, call the radiologist who read your films and ask. It might take some legwork, but you have the right to know this, and the information could save your life. A grass-roots legislative movement is afoot to make disclosure of breast density information mandatory when a woman has a mammogram. This would be a very good thing for women.

Read more ways to reduce breast cancer risk at theatlantic.com.