According to the National Cancer Society, breast cancer patients diagnosed in stage II of the disease have five-year survival rates of 93 percent, compared with a 22-percent rate when diagnosed in stage IV.
MountainStar Health Care
By MountainStar Health Care

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This story is sponsored by MountainStar Health Care. Learn more about MountainStar Health Care.

You’ve likely heard that the best defense against breast cancer is early detection. Definitely true, those yearly mammograms may not be as effective as you think — IF you’re among the 40 percent of American women who have been diagnosed with dense breasts.

Breast density is a condition in which there is more tissue than fat in the breasts. It can actually mask lumps, cysts and tumors, some of which could be cancerous. In fact, dense breast tissue can reduce the effectiveness of a mammogram by 36-38 percent, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study.

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