If you are a woman in Pennsylvania who is over the age of 40, you may get annual mammograms. You might even get these screenings if you are younger if you have a family history of breast cancer. If you have had a mammography technician or radiologist comment to you that your breast tissue is very dense, you are not alone but you should understand what this means and why they point this out to you.
As explained by WebMD, on a mammogram image, any growths or tumors show up as white spots on the film. The same is true of non-cancerous breast tissue that is very dense. This can make it more difficult for a radiologist to differentiate between a potential problem and healthy but simply lumpy breast tissue. It is even legally required that you are told by radiologists if they believe you have dense breast tissue.
The fact that you have been told this, however, should not mean that you do not deserve to be given accurate test results. It is reasonable for you to expect that medical professionals know how to read mammograms and know when to advise you to have further testing done in order to avoid missing a possible cancer diagnosis.
If you would like to learn more about how to protect yourself against potential missed cancer diagnoses or to get help if you believe you have received an incorrect diagnosis, please feel free to visit the mammography results and errors page of our Pennsylvania medical malpractice website.