Most women unaware of breast density’s effect on cancer risk, study finds

Most women don’t know that having dense breasts increases their risk for breast cancer and reduces a mammogram’s ability to detect cancer, according to a study. A random phone survey of 1,024 Virginia women ages 35 to 70 found that just 1 in 8 women were aware that breast density is a risk factor for breast cancer, while just 1 in 5 women knew that dense breasts reduced the sensitivity of mammograms to find tumors.