logo
Dense Breasts? You Need to Ask Your Doctor for This Type of Mammogram

Dense Breasts? You Need to Ask Your Doctor for This Type of Mammogram

Yahoo15-06-2025
For millions of women, the words 'you have dense breasts' can feel both vague and unsettling—especially when it comes after a routine mammogram. Breast density isn't just a technical term buried in a radiology report, it's a real risk factor that can make it harder to spot cancer early. Yet many women aren't told what that means for their health or what steps they can take next. One powerful, underused tool? Contrast-enhanced mammography, or CEM.
Experts say it could be a game-changer for women with dense breasts, but only if they know to ask for it.
More from Flow Space
This Menopause Drug May Be the Key to Preventing Invasive Breast Cancer
Despite growing awareness, many women still don't know what breast density means for their screening options. In most cases, they're simply advised to return in a year for another mammogram. But experts say that for women with dense breasts, especially those with additional risk factors, there's a powerful tool that could offer earlier, more accurate detection: contrast-enhanced mammography, or CEM.
CEM is a relatively new imaging technique that combines the familiar process of a mammogram with an iodine-based contrast dye, similar to what's used in a CT scan. This allows radiologists to see blood flow to areas of the breast—highlighting suspicious areas that might otherwise be hidden by dense tissue. Studies show it can detect more cancers than standard mammography or even 3D mammograms, especially in dense breasts.
So why isn't every woman with dense breasts getting one?
Experts say it's partly due to lack of awareness—both among patients and healthcare providers—as well as uneven access and insurance coverage. But as more states pass laws requiring women to be notified about their breast density, and as clinical data continues to support CEM's accuracy, the message is becoming clearer: if you have dense breasts, asking your doctor about CEM could be a lifesaving conversation.
Contrast-enhanced mammography is much simpler than it sounds. By injecting an iodine-based dye into the vein in combination with a traditional 2D or 3D mammogram, radiologists can have a better view of abnormalities that are more difficult to see on a regular mammogram. The dye serves as a contrast (hence the name) against healthy breast tissue, allowing your provider to more easily view any lesions and determine if they are benign or cancerous.
'Our breasts are made up of glands, connective tissue and fatty tissue,' Dr. Meleen Chuang, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn, told Flow Space. 'The density of breast is a term used to describe the amount of different types of breast tissue seen on a mammogram. Dense breast tissue has higher amounts of glandular tissue and connective tissue and low amount of fatty tissue.'
Dense breasts are common, and almost half of women who are over 40 that get mammograms are found to have dense breast tissue. Doctors use the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) to classify breast density. This system, developed by the American College of Radiology, helps doctors interpret and report back mammogram findings.
'Dense breasts are a risk factor for breast cancer compared to women with fatty breasts,' said Chuang. 'This risk is separate from the effect of dense breasts on the ability for the radiologist to read a mammogram.'
There is not yet enough evidence to recommend for or against additional imaging tests, such as ultrasound or MRI to screen for breast cancer in women with dense breasts according to the Recommendation Statement on Breast Cancer Screening by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
'However, for many women with dense breasts, the radiologist may often recommend spot compression images to redo a mammogram in certain areas after the screening mammogram and would often then review those areas with breast sonogram,' said Chuang.
For those with dense breasts, supplemental imaging might be a requirement in your screening plan given your increased risk of breast cancer.
What does it mean to have dense breasts? Having dense breasts increases a person's risk of developing breast cancer, and it can also make it more challenging for radiologists to detect cancer on a traditional mammogram. Nearly 50% of women have dense breasts, making it a common breast cancer risk factor.
So, what are the most common types of screenings:
Ultrasound: Breast ultrasound uses sound waves and their echoes to make computer pictures of the inside of the breast. It can be helpful to show certain breast developments that may be difficult to see on a mammogram, such as differentiating benign fluid-filled cysts from potentially cancerous solid masses. Ultrasound can be used for additional imaging if the patient has dense breasts.
MRI: Breast MRI (which stands for magnetic resonance imaging) uses radio waves and strong magnets to make detailed pictures of the inside of the breast. It is typically used to screen high-risk patients or diagnose areas difficult to see under mammography. Like CEM, breast MRIs require a contrast dye to be injected into your vein before the pictures are taken. MRIs historically detect more cancers compared to traditional mammograms and ultrasound, so they're typically recommended for patients with dense breasts or other breast cancer risk factors.
CEM: Contrast-enhanced mammography exams are conducted using the same mammography equipment as a traditional mammogram, but they also use contrast dye. Just like ultrasound and MRI, they can be used for additional imaging for patients with dense breast tissue.
3D Mammogram: A 3D mammogram, also known as digital breast tomosynthesis, is an advanced form of breast imaging that creates a three-dimensional picture of the breast using multiple X-ray images taken from different angles. Unlike traditional 2D mammograms, which produce a flat image, a 3D mammogram allows radiologists to examine breast tissue layer by layer, making it easier to detect small tumors that might be hidden by overlapping tissue. This technology is especially helpful for women with dense breasts, where distinguishing between normal and abnormal tissue can be more difficult. While 3D mammography has improved cancer detection rates and reduced false positives, it can still miss cancers that a contrast-based test like CEM might catch.
Previous studies have shown that CEM offers a comparable diagnostic performance to contrast breast MRI. Most recently, a study was published that found that CEM is able to detect three times as many cancers in dense breast tissue compared to ultrasound, as well as smaller tumors compared to traditional mammograms. CEM has been gaining wider acceptance in recent years as a possible alternative to MRI, since it is a more comfortable and familiar experience compared to MRI and offers comparable detection rates.
Not to mention, patients have reported that they significantly prefer CEM compared to breast MRI due to increased comfort, lower noise levels, decreased feelings of anxiety and greater procedure efficiency. CEM is also more cost effective compared to MRI (typically around 25% of the cost), and CEM patients receive their results within 8-10 minutes compared to 45 minutes with MRI.
While standard and 3D mammograms rely solely on differences in tissue density to detect abnormalities, CEM uses an iodine-based contrast dye to illuminate areas where tumors may be growing and drawing blood. This functional imaging approach can reveal cancers that are otherwise hidden in dense breast tissue, which appears white on mammograms—the same color as many tumors.
Studies have shown that CEM can detect more cancers than 2D or 3D mammograms alone and has accuracy comparable to breast MRI, which is considered the gold standard for high-risk screening. But unlike MRI, CEM is quicker, more widely available and less expensive. For women who need more sensitive screening but can't access or tolerate an MRI, CEM offers a powerful, accessible alternative that could catch cancer earlier—when it's most treatable.
CEM provides a very appealing offer for those who need to get supplemental imaging but have concerns about detection performance with ultrasound or cost or claustrophobia with MRI.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Klick Group Eyes Strong Future With Growth Investment
Klick Group Eyes Strong Future With Growth Investment

Yahoo

time14 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Klick Group Eyes Strong Future With Growth Investment

Life sciences commercialization agency gets strategic backing from Linden Capital Partners and GIC, replacing successful partnership term with GTCR TORONTO & NEW YORK, July 04, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Klick Group today announced a growth investment from preeminent healthcare investors Linden Capital Partners and GIC following a successful term with GTCR. Klick co-founders Leerom Segal and Aaron Goldstein will continue to lead the company they established nearly three decades ago with the same entrepreneurial spirit, vision, operational control, and excellence that have made it a powerhouse in life sciences commercialization. "We're excited about how this new investment will help accelerate the expansion of the breadth and depth of services Klick offers to support life sciences brands in achieving their full potential," Segal said. "We're grateful to GTCR for how they backed our people-first business model, commitment to our clients, and results-driven, award-winning work over the last five years. We're also thrilled to partner with Linden Capital Partners and GIC to continue our growth." Linden Capital Partners Co-Founder Tony Davis said, "We've looked at every company in this space and no one comes near Klick in terms of its caliber of people, quality of work, or depth of client relationships. We're really excited to team with the leading company in the space and have real impact with patients and their care providers." Klick made news earlier this year by announcing its acquisition of Peregrine Market Access, a leading U.S. market access strategy and value communications specialist in life sciences, to boost its presence and capabilities in the increasingly important value, access, and reimbursement segments within life sciences commercialization. It also acquired the Singapore operations of Ward6, an independent health agency known for its work in healthcare professional marketing and medical communications. Over the last six months alone, Klick has been honored with 141 top-tier creative awards and made history by becoming the first health agency to ever be ranked an 'Agency of the Year' by both The One Show and New York Festivals Advertising Awards. CBS Mornings recently described '18 Months,' the new short film Klick created for nonprofit Second Nurture, as an experience that's "going to make an impact on your heart." About Klick GroupKlick Group is the world's largest independent commercialization partner for life sciences, focused on hacking the boundaries of health by developing, launching, and supporting life sciences brands to achieve their full potential. The agency provides best-in-class marketing and advertising, media strategy and purchasing, medical affairs and medical communications, value and market access services, as well as enterprise omnichannel enablement among its specialized offerings. Klick's client service is rooted in deep medical and scientific understanding, enabled by nearly 250 post-graduate, in-house medical experts; unrivaled decision sciences capabilities; and innovative, results-driven creative. One of the most-awarded advertising agencies on the planet, Klick has been named Clio Health Independent Agency of the Year, London International Awards Global (and Regional) Independent Health & Pharma Agency of the Year, as well as Cannes Lions #2 Healthcare Agency and #2 Healthcare Network. The company recently made history by becoming the first health agency to ever be ranked an 'Agency of the Year' by both The One Show and New York Festivals Advertising Awards. Klick has also been ranked a Best Managed Company, Great Place to Work, Best Workplace for Women, Best Workplace for Inclusion, Best Workplace for Professional Services, Most Admired Corporate Culture, and a FORTUNE Best Workplace in Advertising. Established in 1997, Klick Group has offices in New York, Philadelphia, Saratoga Springs, Toronto, London, São Paulo, and Singapore. View source version on Contacts Press Contact For more information, please contact Klick PR at pr@ or (416) 214-4977 Sign in to access your portfolio

What happens to your stomach in a hot dog eating contest?
What happens to your stomach in a hot dog eating contest?

Yahoo

time16 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

What happens to your stomach in a hot dog eating contest?

Competitive eating champ Joey Chestnut gulps down dozens of hot dogs each Fourth of July at the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest — and comes back do it again year after year. But no one really knows what long-term impacts it might have on his body or the bodies of other competitive eaters. Chestnut has eaten as many as 83 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, surpassing the world record he set in 2021 when he ate 76 hot dogs and buns. He downed 62 to win the Nathan's contest in 2023 but did not compete in 2024. Chestnut returned this year and ate 70.5 hot dogs and buns, taking the title once again. In the women's competition, defending champion Miki Sudo wolfed down 33 hot dogs and buns this year after eating a record 51 dogs in 2024. Contestants can eat upwards of 22,000 calories in a single meal while competing. Long-term consequences are not well known because competitive eating is a relatively new sport with a relatively small number of participants, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Debbie Petitpain said. But health experts say the practice does raise some potential health concerns. The stomach, which normally contracts after people eat, could end up permanently stretched out, Dr. Rajeev Jain with Texas Digestive Disease Consultants said. It could also impact gastric emptying, the process by which food moves from the stomach into the duodenum. "Nobody is going to get funded for a randomized, controlled trial where you say, 'Hey, I'm going to quadruple your stomach size and see what happens to you,' because there's no reason to do that type of thing from a medical perspective," Jain said. Still, gastroenterologists have some idea of what happens when a trained competitor speed-eats dozens of hot dogs. A 2007 University of Pennsylvania study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology offers some clues. What happens to the stomach of competitive eaters? In the study, a control subject and a competitive speed eater — a 29-year-old man who was ranked in the top 10 worldwide — were asked to eat as many hot dogs as they could during a 12-minute period. While most contests call for including the buns, the study stuck to just hot dogs. Researchers studied the participants' stomachs beforehand and asked each man to ingest an effervescent agent and high-density barium before eating the hot dogs so they could watch the food as it moved through the participants' bodies. Based on fluoroscopy scans during the study, the researchers found the competitive eater's stomach was capable of expanding to accommodate significantly more food. The control subject ate seven hot dogs before he felt sick and needed to stop. At the 10-minute mark, the competitive speed eater had ingested 36 hot dogs; researchers asked him to stop because they were worried for him. "His stomach now appeared as a massively distended, food-filled sac occupying most of the upper abdomen, with little or no gastric peristalsis and emptying of a small amount of barium into the duodenum," the researchers wrote. At the end, they said his abdomen protruded "enough to create the distinct impression of a developing intrauterine pregnancy." Dr. David Metz, who was one of the authors of the study and has worked as a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, said speed eaters have the ability to relax their stomachs so they can ingest more food. The average, empty stomach is about the size of a fist or a fist and a half, he said. It's made of two parts: a receptacle on top and a grinder, of sorts, on the bottom. The stomach muscles will stretch to accommodate food as people eat, but every muscle "has its point at which there's no return." "You could potentially end up with a big bag that doesn't contract properly," Metz said. The study noted that competitive eaters have reported using "varying methods of training" to try to expand their stomach capacity, including ingesting "vast amounts of cabbage" or "water loading," which can be hazardous. In the immediate aftermath of eating contests, participants report feeling extremely bloated and tired. They also report gastrointestinal distress in the day or two after a competition. Other side effects of competitive eating Competitive eating impacts more than just the stomach. Participants can become sweaty, lightheaded and faint in the aftermath, experts said. Some speed eaters have noted pain in their face, jaw and neck afterwards because of the amount of chewing and swallowing involved. "Some athletes have reported arthritis in the jaw, excruciating pain in that area," Petitpain said. It's not just the large quantity of food that's a problem. It's also the type of food. Hot dogs are high in sodium. According to the nutritional information on Nathan's website, one of its Original Coney Island natural casing beef hot dogs contains 170 calories, 16 grams of fat (including 6 grams of saturated fat), and 480 milligrams of sodium. Other varieties are higher. The USDA's 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day. It would take fewer than five hot dogs to go over the daily limit. "If they're absorbing too much sodium, their thirst mechanism is going to kick in and they're going to drink a lot of water afterwards," Jain said. "My concern is, if your stomach is so full of food, how are you going to get the other compensatory liquids in?" High-sodium diets are associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, which is a major cause of both stroke and heart disease. Ingesting excessive sodium can impact kidney function. The spike in sodium can also cause blood pressure to soar, putting pressure on blood vessels in the body, Petitpain said. "If there's a weak spot in those blood vessels that gets stressed, that could cause a heart attack," Petitpain said. "Or if there is a bursting of the vessels in the brain, a stroke." The high level of fat ingested could cause nausea, diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress, Petitpain said. During the annual contest, the competitors also eat the buns, which means a lot of carbs. "This large load of protein, of carbohydrates, of starches, all these things, they're now going to be dumped into the small intestine. And while this is going on, your body has to crank up its insulin," Jain said. But all told, if the competitive eater goes back to a normal diet once a contest is over, their body should regulate back to normal. "Your body is a very adaptive organism," Metz said. "The kidneys flush out the excess sodium and other micronutrients." There are still dangers, though. Beyond the immediate stomach pains competitors might feel, there are much worse possibilities. Competitors who vomit risk aspirating or tearing the lining of their esophagus, Metz said. People have died during eating competitions. In 2017, a 20-year-old college student died after choking during a pancake-eating contest. That same year, a 42-year-old man asphyxiated during a donut-eating contest. "There's a lot of danger involved and many of us have been very concerned about this," Metz said. Major League Eating, the organization that oversees professional competitions, does have safety teams on hand at events, and says it "strongly opposes and discourages home training of any kind." In a 2023 statement to CBS News, Major League Eating said that it adheres to "strict safety protocols," including having an emergency medical technician present at events and ensuring participants are 18 years of age or older. What a new DOJ memo could mean for naturalized U.S. citizens July 4 holiday week expected to set record for travelers WWII veterans start new friendships during July 4th celebration

3 years later, 988 Lifeline sees higher volume but special option for LGBTQ youth cut
3 years later, 988 Lifeline sees higher volume but special option for LGBTQ youth cut

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

3 years later, 988 Lifeline sees higher volume but special option for LGBTQ youth cut

Three years after the launch of the three-digit 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the service is seeing increases in call volume, state-level support and reported effectiveness, as well as reductions in specialized offerings, including one designed to help LGBTQ youth. "This year, the 988 Lifeline continued to provide life-saving help to millions of people, with about a 20% higher volume of calls, texts and chats compared to the year prior," Dr. John Palmieri, acting director of SAMHSA's 988 Lifeline Office, told ABC News via email. SAMHSA is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the division of the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees 988. "Recent evaluation work affirms the effectiveness of the 988 Lifeline, with studies showing that the vast majority of suicidal callers saying they thought their crisis call helped them and stopped them from killing themselves," he added. A network of more than 200 crisis call centers field calls, chats and texts on behalf of the Lifeline, offering support to callers experiencing suicidal crises and other forms of mental distress. This network has existed in some form for at least a couple of decades, beginning with the precursor to 988 -- the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which was started in 2005. During his first term, President Donald Trump signed into law the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, which designated 988 as the new three-digit number to call in case of a mental health emergency. The new number, intended to be easier to remember and access in times of crisis, officially launched on July 16, 2022. Since that launch date, the Lifeline has answered over 13 million calls, chats and texts across the U.S. and its territories, according to SAMHSA. "The transition to 988 three years ago sparked coordinated efforts across the country -- inspiring local governments, states, Tribes and healthcare providers to improve crisis care response systems in communities nationwide," Palmieri said. Despite increasing state-level support for the Lifeline, recent downsizing efforts across the federal government have had an impact on the ability to "build out a crisis continuum of care across the country," Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, told ABC News. "Interestingly, the administration has proposed flat funding for 988 for fiscal year 2026, so that was really encouraging that they're proposing keeping funding levels at [$519.6 million]," Wesolowski said. "But with a lot of the changes within HHS, we've seen a fair number of the staff within the 988 behavioral health crisis coordinating office depart the administration." The Trump administration has implemented significant workforce reductions for HHS and SAMHSA over the last few months. HHS also recently announced a major restructuring effort, which includes plans for additional staffing cuts and and the reorganization of some of the department's agencies, including SAMHSA, under a new entity called Administration for a Healthy America. Asked how these changes to SAMHSA's place within the federal government may impact its oversight of 988, SAMHSA told ABC News via email that, "The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will continue daily, life-saving work, helping thousands of people every day and millions of people every year." MORE: Trump administration to close LGBTQ+ suicide hotline program next month In addition to the federal funding of 988, states offer varying levels of funding to support the Lifeline's operation. Many states have chosen to either adopt fees or recurring state appropriations in order to maintain efficient service and availability of counselors. Currently, twelve states charge a small tax on phone bills every month to fund 988 operations. This funding structure is modeled after the one used to fund 911 call centers. Those twelve states include Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Vermont. The permanent funding fees range from no cost in New York to $0.60 in Delaware. An additional five states -- Arizona, Utah, Kansas, Georgia, Florida -- have implemented recurring state appropriations, meaning those states' legislatures offer funding through their annual budget. "We've seen an increased commitment by states to create sustainable funding mechanisms for the service and a growth in local response to people in crisis," Palmieri said via email. While states have been increasing resources to support 988, the Lifeline's offerings nationwide are about to change. Currently, callers to the Lifeline are prompted to press numbered options for certain specialized services -- 1 for the Veterans' Crisis Line, 2 for the Spanish-language subnetwork and 3 for LGBTQ-youth centered care. SAMHSA recently announced that the Press 3 option, which provides specialized care for LGBTQ youth, will no longer be a part of the Lifeline. That repeal was announced during LGBTQ Pride Month, just under three years after the subnetwork was first established as a pilot program in 2022. The cut came as a surprise to those working on the specialized line, including The Trevor Project, which has been operating this type of service for ten years, according to Interim Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs Mark Henson. Henson told ABC News that the federal funding for the service allowed The Trevor Project and other organizations to "double our capacity to serve youth." Since the launch of Press 3, Henson says the option has fielded over 1.3 million calls, chats and texts. Monthly calls have also increased from 1,752 at the option's launch to 69,057 answered contacts in its last reported data from SAMHSA in May 2025. In a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a bipartisan group of Congressional representatives responded to the cut announcement, noting that the subnetwork has averaged approximately 2,100 contacts per day. "These numbers reflect the critical, ongoing demand for this targeted support," the members said. "To a young person feeling alone and scared, 988 is truly a lifeline." MORE: LGBTQ, legal groups slam UPenn for 'caving' to Trump's trans athlete ban In a statement announcing the discontinuation, SAMHSA said the move comes in response to significant operation costs and "to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option." "The Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus included a Congressional directive for $29.7 million to fund the specialized services," SAMHSA said. "Federal funding in FY24 for the Press 3 services increased to $33 million. As of June 2025, more than $33 million in funds have been spent to support the subnetworks, fully expending the monies allocated for 988 Lifeline LGB+ subnetwork services." Despite the evident utility of the specialized option, "Press 3 option has run out of Congressionally directed funding," an HHS spokesperson wrote in a statement to ABC News, adding, "continued funding of the Press 3 threatened to put the entire 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in danger of massive reductions in services." The Trevor Project remains adamant that the change to the program will do more harm than good because it neglects the specific challenges that people in the LGBTQ community face. "I think there's a fundamental lack of understanding that suicide prevention is about risk and not about identity," Henson told ABC News. "It's because of the life experiences and the stigma and the bullying associated with LGBTQ+ young people that make them more than four times as likely to attempt suicide." "It's their life experiences and the unique drivers that have increased their risk of suicidality and therefore, have tailored care," he added. For NAMI's part, Wesolowski said the organization is, "continuing to advocate with Congress," to reverse the decision to remove press 3, saying that, "members of Congress on both sides of the aisle express some concern around this." Despite the federal shifts, Wesolowski says she hopes the foundation of 988 is strong enough to withstand political changes, both now and in the future. "The goal has always been that anyone who's in a mental health crisis or emotional distress gets appropriate mental health care response," she said. "And I think right now, the [political] uncertainty is creating a lot of concern. [But] I think there's still strong bipartisan support and cross systems support." If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises, or are worried about a friend or loved one, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store