Dense and Dangerous

Women who have dense breast tissue are at far greater risk of breast cancer recurrence after a lumpectomy than women with the least dense breasts—particularly if they don’t follow the operation with a regimen of radiation. That’s the conclusion of researchers from Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto: “The composition of the breast tissue surrounding the breast cancer is important in predicting whether or not a breast cancer will return after surgery,” explains lead researcher Steven A. Narod, M.D.

He believes the study findings indicate that women with low breast density, who have a low chance of recurrence after surgery, may not need radiation, “but that women with high breast density could significantly benefit from the additional therapy.”