One of New Victoria Hospital’s leading Breast Surgeons, Ms Katerina Micha, has highlighted the need for patients with high breast density to strongly consider additional breast cancer screening. Coinciding with Breast Cancer Awareness month (October), this advice comes following recent research showing that hundreds of lives could be saved each year with extra checks for women who are at risk.
Dense breasts contain more fibroglandular tissue, which appears white on a mammogram, similar to a tumour, making cancers harder to detect. High breast density is a risk factor for breast cancer, and density decreases with age, which is why some tumours go undetected in mammogram screening while they are asymptomatic. In women of screening age (50 to 71), around 40% are classed as having dense breasts and 10% have very dense breasts[1].
In a paper published in May, researchers from the University of Cambridge[2] found that offering enhanced scans to the 10% of women with very dense breasts could detect 3,500 more cases and save 700 lives a year in the UK. In July, the UK National Screening Committee revealed it is reviewing evidence that women with dense breast tissue should be offered additional breast screening appointments[2]. Currently, the NHS offers routine mammograms every three years to women aged 50 to 71 years.
In light of the findings for higher breast density, Ms Micha suggests that women in their 40s should really consider getting an independent screening in their 40s, since this is the age where tissue in the breast is still quite dense, in addition to an age where breast cancer risk is high.
Ms Micha says, “The ability to self-refer and self-pay without the need for insurance at New Victoria Hospital is a lifeline if a patient is concerned about their breast cancer risk, particularly if it runs within the family. This gives women the chance to take control of their breast health even when they don’t have any symptoms or understand their own breast density level. This is particularly important for women in their 40s, as early detection dramatically improves outcomes.”
Women Living in the City
Cancer risk is influenced by a number of biological, hormonal and lifestyle factors, with a study from the London Breast Institute[3] finding that city-dwelling women are at greater risk for breast cancer, which is believed to be due to stress and pollution. In the US , doctors are legally required to inform women of their breast density following a mammogram, while in the UK, the NHS recommends additional screening for women who are at higher risk of breast cancer due to family history, known gene mutations and certain rare syndromes.
In light of these developments, New Victoria Hospital offers women the ability to refer themselves for breast cancer screening at their One-Stop Breast Clinic. Each appointment provides fast and accurate screening with the triple assessment method. Patients receive clinical breast examinations, mammograms and/or ultrasounds, and, where necessary, a fine needle aspiration or core biopsy. The clinic also provides advanced diagnostic tools, such as tomosynthesis (3D mammography), which improves diagnostic accuracy, especially for women with dense breast tissue.
Ms Micha, one of the leading breast surgeons at the independent hospital, based in Kent, emphasises the importance of early detection and understanding changes in breast health. “When you find a lump, in most cases it is not cancer. However, it is something that requires examination, so getting a rapid test can give patients peace of mind.”
Consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon Ms Chloe Constantinou recommends self-checking once a month. “Become familiar with your breasts and know how your breasts normally look and feel. Anything that is new or has changed is best to be checked by a breast specialist.”
Ms Micha explains how to do a thorough self-examination. “Feel both breasts, including the part of the breast that goes towards the underarm, and look in front of a well-lit mirror. Assess any changes in terms of the shape, size or symmetry of the breasts compared to the previous month’s examination.”
Below are some of the classic symptoms attributed to breast cancer:
Breast size changes – noticing lumps or swelling or thickening of breast tissue that might feel unusual.
Skin changes – some may feel that there is sudden dimpling of the skin that looks similar to an “orange peel”
Nipple Changes – newly inverted nipples, the nipple might appear flatter or turned inward or have a rash
Unusual Discharge – any discharge, particularly if it is bloodstained
Itchy Breasts – or a rash or swelling in the armpit
Same-day results can ease health anxiety
New Victoria Hospital’s One-Stop Breast Clinic usually shares imaging results with patients during the same-day appointment, and any pathology results are typically available within 48-72 hours. If further investigations, like a stereotactic or vacuum biopsy, are required, these will be arranged as a follow-up appointment.
Early detection leads to more treatment options, including less invasive surgeries and better survival rates. Today, 76% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK survive for 10 years or more, thanks to early detection and advances in treatment.
“The smaller the cancers that we find, the better the treatment,” Ms Micha says. “If we find what we call early breast cancer, meaning small cancers within the breast, we can do breast-conserving surgery, and our survival rates are excellent.”
[1]
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00330-022-08617-6#ref-CR3
[2]
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00582-3/fulltext
[3]
[4]
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/908501
About New Victoria Hospital
New Victoria Hospital is a private, charity-owned hospital based in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and is one of the few remaining independent hospitals in the country. It has provided a high level of service to the local community for over sixty years and is frequently ranked by patients as one of the top private hospitals in London.
The Hospital is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and is fully compliant with their standards. The current CQC rating for the Hospital is “Good”. The Hospital was proud to achieve this rating across all five categories – safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
It is owned by parent charity The Victoria Foundation. This charity helps to transform lives where there is an opportunity to do so – either through medical provision or by ensuring that young people destined to become the future generations of doctors are not prevented from doing so through lack of finances.
Source: https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/dense-breasts
