Filed under the things you didn't need to know but I'll tell you anyway file:
I had my yearly mammogram the other day. Apparently, I don't have much of a rack, as evidenced by my less than B cups, but what tissue I have is very dense. Not much can be done about that, but it means that the mammogram technician had to work hard to get my measly breast tissue between the plates so that all tissue could be imaged.
Filed under the things you might need to know so I'll tell you file:
Not sure what constitutes dense breast tissue? Let me remind you that breasts are composed mostly of glandular tissue (lobules and ducts that produce and carry milk, respectively), fatty tissue, and connective tissue. If glandular and connective tissue make up the majority of the breast, that breast is categorized as dense. The denser the breast, the greater risk for cancer (slightly higher risk, most sites claim, and I'm not going to look up the statistics to prove it) and the more difficult it is for the radiologist to see cancer on the mammogram. So they want to get good pictures. Hence, the technician having to work extra hard in my case.
And just for kicks, I'm going to include a very good picture of the different types of breasts. (I have plans to get my hands on my own pictures, but I'll have to contact medical records first). I found these pictures at this site.
And now you know.
I had my yearly mammogram the other day. Apparently, I don't have much of a rack, as evidenced by my less than B cups, but what tissue I have is very dense. Not much can be done about that, but it means that the mammogram technician had to work hard to get my measly breast tissue between the plates so that all tissue could be imaged.
Filed under the things you might need to know so I'll tell you file:
Not sure what constitutes dense breast tissue? Let me remind you that breasts are composed mostly of glandular tissue (lobules and ducts that produce and carry milk, respectively), fatty tissue, and connective tissue. If glandular and connective tissue make up the majority of the breast, that breast is categorized as dense. The denser the breast, the greater risk for cancer (slightly higher risk, most sites claim, and I'm not going to look up the statistics to prove it) and the more difficult it is for the radiologist to see cancer on the mammogram. So they want to get good pictures. Hence, the technician having to work extra hard in my case.
And just for kicks, I'm going to include a very good picture of the different types of breasts. (I have plans to get my hands on my own pictures, but I'll have to contact medical records first). I found these pictures at this site.
And now you know.
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