How does dense breast tissue look like on breast ultrasound?

I have a dense breast. I got mammogram and ultrasound every 6 months, but they didn't detected my cancer on my last scan (July 2019). I have recently been diagnosed with IDC stage 2B during the new year.

it's very important to use breast self-exams along with mammograms/ultrasound to maximize your chances of finding cancer early. I did not do self-exam since my last scan and then I found out I got a cancer. Dense breast tissue appears as a solid white area on the film which makes it difficult to see through. Cancers can also look white on the film, so it can be more difficult to identify a cancer.

Breast MRI is another option for dense breast.

Yes, I have 3D mammogram plus ultrasound at Cedars-Sinai since 2016. I did remember that I got a short period of breast pain last year. My bra was getting tight.

It turned out that I tested positive for BRCA-2 gene too.

The Role of Ultrasound in Screening Dense Breasts—A Review of the Literature and Practical Solutions for Implementation

Abstract

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Estimates indicate a nearly 40% breast cancer mortality reduction when screening women annually starting at age 40. Although mammography is well known to be a powerful screening tool in the detection of early breast cancer, it is imperfect, particularly for women with dense breasts. In women with dense breast tissue, the sensitivity of mammography is reduced. Additionally, women with dense breasts have an increased risk of developing breast cancer while mammography has a lower sensitivity. Screening ultrasound, both handheld and automated, is effective in detecting mammographically occult cancer in women with dense tissue. Studies have shown that ultrasound significantly increases detection of clinically important, small, largely invasive, node-negative cancers. The purpose of this review article is to summarize the literature to date regarding screening breast ultrasound, emphasizing differences in cancer detection in high risk and intermediate risk women, and to discuss practical ways to implement screening ultrasound in clinical practice, including automated whole breast ultrasound, as a viable solution to the increasing need for additional screening.

Antonia, it is perfectly normal for young women to have very dense breast tissue. That's precisely why mammograms aren't recommended for breast screenings in younger women, and ultrasounds are used instead, at least for the initial screening.

As djmammo's post explained, mammograms are less effective at detecting abnormalities when the breast tissue is dense, whereas ultrasounds tend to be more effective. If you look at the article that djmammo linked, there are several examples of imaging that show mammogram and ultrasound images of the same breast with dense breast tissue.

It makes sense that the doctor who did your ultrasound said that your breasts appeared normal for your age. If your breasts are dense, then yes, they are normal for your age.