Dealing with a difficult diagnosis is character building. Life goes on, for the lucky ones. And those who emerge from the pit of despair often commit what little time they have left to the important things in life: family and friends. 
Many families are touched by breast cancer, the most common cancer among Australian women, accounting for almost a third (28 per cent) of all cancers diagnosed in women. 
In SA, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows 1333 women and nine men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, while 274 women and one man died. Around 400 surgeries to remove breast cancer are conducted at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital each year.

Dense breasts are at higher risk of cancer but the dense tissue makes cancer hard to spot. What to do?

Some argue women should be told about their breast density when they have a mammogram. Others disagree.

New research about what might help reduce breast density and therefore cancer risk, has raised the debate once more.

Wendy Ingman discusses her latest research on the cause of increased breast density and cancer risk with Dr Norman Swan on the ABC Health Report on Radio National.