Does Being on Hormone Therapy Make it More Difficult to Interpret a Mammogram?

Question: Does being on hormone therapy make it more difficult to interpret a mammogram?

Answer: The use of hormone therapy can increase the density of the breast tissue in about 25 percent of women and when you increase the density or whiteness of the tissue that can hide a cancer. So, because we're looking for a white cancer in a background of white breast tissue, so it lowers our sensitivity. So yes, it does lower the sensitivity of mammography.

Next: Do Implants Compromise the Accuracy of the Screening Mammogram?

Previous: Does Having a Previous Biopsy or a Lumpectomy Make It More Difficult to Interpret a Mammogram?