Doctors not involved in the study say women should not be overly concerned with the findings because there is usually a lot of variation, particularly in the middle, according to Dr. Priscilla Slanetz, a radiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

She told NPR.org that women should “use the density report as a jumping-off point for a broader discussion” about their risk for breast cancer.


Dr. Norman Boyd of the University of Toronto in Canada, who was also not involved in the analysis, agreed. He told Reuters dense breast tissue is “not a diagnosis, just a description.” He noted that automated methods are being developed now for use with digital mammograms that will probably be much more reliable in the future.

Slanetz agreed those women with dense breasts might want to get digital mammography as well. Other screening options for women with dense breasts include ultrasound, digital breast tomosynthesis and MR, according to the NPR report.

One of the conclusions of the study was that the wide variation in density assessment should be “carefully considered by providers and policymakers when considering supplemental screening strategies.”

Back to HCB News

Women's Health Homepage