Decreasing breast density...

Age?  I think dense tissue is more common in young women, but can just be the way you are

Trish

I don't know about Iodine...something to ask your doctor about. 

I had dense tissue and many cysts most of my adult life. It was always so frustrating especially after I learned that my golf ball sized malignant tumor was mistaken for five years as a clump of dense tissue not only on mammograms, but also by my GYN during palpations. I've had bi-lat Masts...so it's no longer an issue for me  . But it really concerns me that so many gals have this problem. And so many are having problems with tumors not showing up because of the denseness, not to mention that dense tissue predisposes you to actually developing cancer. I found some info at another discussion board and wanted to share it with you (they don't specifically mention dense tissue, but they do mention breast cysts and fibroids)...

Eating about an ounce of ground flaxseed each day will affect the way estrogen is handled in postmenopausal women in such a way that offers protection against breast cancer but will not interfere with estrogen's role in normal bone maintenance.
In addition to lessening a woman's risk of developing cancer, the lignans abundant in flaxseed can promote normal ovulation and extend the second, progesterone-dominant half of the cycle. The benefits of these effects are manifold. For women trying to become pregnant, consistent ovulation significantly improves their chances of conception. For women between the ages of 35 and 55 who are experiencing peri-menopausal symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycles, breast cysts, headaches, sleep difficulties, fluid retention, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, weight gain, lowered sex drive, brain fog, fibroid tumors, and heavy bleeding, a probable cause of all these problems is estrogen dominance. Typically, during the 10 years preceding the cessation of periods at midlife, estrogen levels fluctuate while progesterone levels steadily decline. Flaxseed, by promoting normal ovulation and lengthening the second half of the menstrual cycle, in which progesterone is the dominant hormone, helps restore hormonal balance.

So there you have some of it! For more info go to http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81 and read about all the benefits of flax seeds.

If you have a coffee griner/spice grinder you can simply grind the flax seeds up and add them to your smoothie. I think a tablespoon or so is enough.

Flax is also available in the form of an oil that can be simply poured into tea or smoothies.

Some of the test I've read say that the increased risk for BC remains for 10 years after the breast becomes less dense.

One of the first things a doc will tell is to quit caffeine.

I also read that women who take HRT have an increase in breast density. 

They consider women high risk for BC if they have high breast density in most of the studies I read.

I wonder if there have been any further developments in the iodine theory?

Doesn't Tamoxifen reduce density?

I was on tamoxifen for 5 years and then had a complete hysterectomy. It has been 10 years and tissue is still dense.