What are the levels of breast density?

There are four levels of breast density:

• Level 1: Almost all fatty tissue (1 out of 10 women)
• Level 2: Scattered areas of dense tissue, but mostly fatty tissue (4 out of 10 women)
• Level 3: Mixed dense and fatty tissue, also called heterogeneous (4 out of 10 women)
• Level 4: Extremely dense tissue (1 out of 10 women)

What is Type 3 breast density?

Level 3 breast density contains 51-75% glandular tissue and stroma. Level 4 breast density is the most dense breast tissue, and is composed of more than 75% glandular tissue and stroma.

What percentage is considered dense breast?

About 50-60 percent of women ages 40-44 have dense breasts, compared to 20-30 percent of women ages 70-74. About 50-60 percent of women with a healthy weight have dense breasts, compared to 20-30 percent of obese women.

Which is the best description of breast density?

There are four BI-RADS categories for breast density: A: fatty; breast is almost entirely fat. B: scattered fibroglandular; breast has scattered areas of fibroglandular density. C: heterogeneously dense; breast tissue is heterogeneously dense. D: dense; breast tissue is extremely dense.

When to use BI-RADS for breast density?

The radiologist is encouraged to assign a category based on the concern that areas of dense fibroglandular breast tissue could mask underlying cancer 3. There are analogous BI-RADS categories for the amount of fibroglandular tissue on breast MRI: Breast density assessment is qualitative and subject to interobserver variability 4.

How many women have heterogeneous dense breast tissue?

About 4 in 10 women have this result. C: Heterogeneously dense indicates that there are some areas of nondense tissue, but that the majority of the breast tissue is dense. About 4 in 10 women have this result. D: Extremely dense indicates that nearly all of the breast tissue is dense. About 1 in 10 women has this result.

What does a density score on a mammogram mean?

A woman whose breast tissue is primarily fatty replaced will have a mammogram that looks more dark. There are 4 categories of breast density (also called a density score) that a radiologist uses for describing a patient’s mammogram: How does breast tissue density affect a radiologist’s ability to detect breast cancer?