--- title: "Additional Views During a Mammogram | Sutter Health" description: "I had breast cancer 10 years ago. I had chemo and radiation. I've had mammograms every year since. What does it mean when additional pictures are needed because of denseness? What is the cause, and what is the chance it's a reoccurrance of cancer?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196" --- 1. Home / 2. Additional Views During a Mammogram # Additional Views During a Mammogram * * * Medically reviewed by - Michael R. Forrest, M.D. ## Question I had breast cancer 10 years ago. I had chemo and radiation. I've had mammograms every year since. What does it mean when additional pictures are needed because of denseness? What is the cause, and what is the chance it's a reoccurrance of cancer? ## Answer Dense breasts are associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer, and also make it more difficult for a radiologist to see a small cancer in the midst of that dense normal breast tissue. After lumpectomy and radiation, there is often a scar on mammogram that is more dense than surrounding breast. The reading radiologist relies on shrinkage or stability of that denser scar, over time, to say that it is not recurrent breast cancer. The fact that you are so long after treatment makes recurrence unlikely, but not impossible. So, go do the extra views, during which the radiologist is likely to be present, and ask him or her what is seen. Sometimes ultrasound, and even MRI, can be useful when there is a question about a mammogram. So ask about those tests also. ## Explore related topics Breast HealthBreast CancerCancer ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Benign vs. Cancerous Breast Lumps What does a breast cancer lump feel like? I heard the lumps that move when touched aren't as much of a concern. - Health Q&A ### Breast Tenderness Causes Is tenderness in the breast a concern for cancer? I have tenderness in just one fingertip size area to the left of the areola of the right breast. - Health Q&A ### Does Mastitis History Increase Breast Cancer Risk? Does a history of mastitis increase my risk for breast cancer? - Health Q&A ### Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations Breast cancer runs in my family (mother). Should I get a mammogram earlier than 40? - Health Q&A ### Breast Implants and Cancer Detection I'm a 40-year-old woman considering modest-sized breast implants. Will they interfere with the ability to detect breast cancer? View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Additional Views During a Mammogram"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196","name":"Additional Views During a Mammogram","description":"Dense breasts are associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer, and also make it more difficult for a radiologist to see a small cancer in the midst of that dense normal breast tissue.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196#question","name":"Additional Views During a Mammogram","text":"I had breast cancer 10 years ago. I had chemo and radiation. I've had mammograms every year since. What does it mean when additional pictures are needed because of denseness? What is the cause, and what is the chance it's a reoccurrance of cancer?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196#answer","text":"Dense breasts are associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer, and also make it more difficult for a radiologist to see a small cancer in the midst of that dense normal breast tissue. After lumpectomy and radiation, there is often a scar on mammogram that is more dense than surrounding breast. The reading radiologist relies on shrinkage or stability of that denser scar, over time, to say that it is not recurrent breast cancer. The fact that you are so long after treatment makes recurrence unlikely, but not impossible. So, go do the extra views, during which the radiologist is likely to be present, and ask him or her what is seen. Sometimes ultrasound, and even MRI, can be useful when there is a question about a mammogram. So ask about those tests also.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196#expert"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/additional-views-during-a-mammogram-1051061196#expert","name":"Michael R. Forrest","honorificSuffix":"M.D."} ```