Breast density: the trend in breast cancer screening

The primary modality for breast cancer screening is mammography. Recent investigations, however, have indicated that an insufficient number of life-threatening cases have been detected by mammography while mammography can often results in a large number of overdiagnoses. To make breast cancer screening more effective, potential factors that influence screening efficacy need to be elucidated. Breast density is one of limiting factors for breast cancer detection using mammography. In this article, influence of breast density on breast screening is explained. Current topics related to breast density, objective assessment of breast density using applications, revision of breast composition classification in Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System Mammography fifth edition, and legislative movement regarding breast density in the United States, are also mentioned in this review article.