The suggested guidance coincides with new findings about the link between cancer risk and breast density.
Jiangs findings were not the basis for the new task force draft recommendations.
But they offer insight into what exactly providers should monitor if they had more time to do so.
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Its measured on a four-point scale defined by theBreast Imaging Reporting and Data System(BI-RADS).
About half of women older than 40 years have dense breasts.
When breast tissue is dense, its more challenging for radiologists to pinpoint tumors in a mammographic image.
That can lead to some cancers going undetected.
Jochelson was not affiliated with the study.
Who Is Most Likely to Have Dense Breasts?
A younger age isnt the only risk factor for dense breasts.
How Tracking Density Over Time Could Inform Screening
Clinicians already take mammograms of both breasts.
The researchers compared the participants rate of change in breast density to the average change in a control group.
Jiang said that if put into clinical practice, providers could also compare a patient to a reference.
In practice, though, she said these findings wont likely change how clinicians diagnose or treat breast cancer.
Besides, most treatments are systemic, meaning they affect both breasts equally.
There are multiple risk models that can be used to predict a patients cancer risk.
But Jochelson said cancer can occur even in low-risk, otherwise healthy patients.
Receiving routine screening is the best way to capture cancer early on.
2016;108(10):djw104.
