Breast density and risk of breast cancer: masking and detection bias

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39098823/ Women with dense breast tissue are more likely to develop breast cancer, according to a recent study co-funded by AHRQ and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Using data from 33,542 women in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, researchers used a novel approach to account for differences in how easily cancer is detected in dense versus nondense breast tissue. Even after adjusting for these differences, women with dense breasts were about 1.7 times as likely to have breast cancer. The findings support laws requiring patient notification and underscore the importance of discussing personalized screening options with a healthcare provider. Clinicians can use this research to better inform patients and guide decisions around screening and risk assessment.