How does breast tissue affect mammogram results?

In mammography, changes in breast tissue can make it difficult to distinguish between normal tissue and tumors.

In young women, breasts are composed of firm glandular tissue. In mammography this density appears white.
Cancerous tumours also appear as white densities on a mammogram. Therefore, finding a cancerous tumor in a dense breast is similar to finding a cloud in a cloudy sky.

Thermography’s Role in Dense Breasts

Thermography does not look through the breast, but rather is a test of physiology. The blood flow to the tissue is reflected in the heat patterns the camera picks up. The abnormal blood flow to cancerous tissues will show up regardless of the density of the
breasts. For this reason, thermography is especially suited for the breast that would otherwise get multiple views with a mammogram.