Articles · October 7, 2026 · 3 min read

Your mammogram report: what BI-RADS and breast density mean

Your report uses a 0 to 6 scale called BI-RADS and includes a line about breast density. What each part means, and who decides what happens next.

A few days after your mammogram, a report lands with your doctor and in your patient portal. Most of it is written for the doctor. Two parts of it are written about you, and they are worth understanding before your doctor calls: a number from 0 to 6, and a sentence about how dense your breast tissue is.

Who reads your mammogram

One of our board-certified radiologists reads every mammogram done at Desert Imaging. The radiologist looks at the pictures layer by layer, compares them with your older mammograms if we have them, and writes the report. The report goes to your doctor, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and appears in your patient portal.

That is why we ask for your previous mammogram or where it was done. A picture compared with last year's picture tells the radiologist more than a picture on its own.

The number: BI-RADS

Radiologists across the country report mammograms on the same scale, from 0 to 6, called BI-RADS. The point of a shared scale is that your doctor knows exactly what the radiologist meant, whoever did the reading.

0 means the reading is not finished. The radiologist needs more pictures, or wants to compare with older mammograms that we do not have yet. It is a request for more information, not a result.
1 or 2 means normal, or benign. A 2 means the radiologist saw something, such as a cyst or a calcification, that is known to be harmless and is noted so it can be recognized next year.
3 means probably benign. The radiologist is confident but wants to check again, usually with a follow-up mammogram in about six months.
4 or 5 means the radiologist recommends a biopsy. A 4 is a finding that needs a closer look. A 5 is a finding the radiologist is more concerned about. In both cases the next step is the same conversation with your doctor.
6 is used only when a cancer has already been confirmed by biopsy and the mammogram is being done to plan or follow treatment.

Most screening mammograms come back as a 1 or 2. A 0 is common too, especially on a first mammogram with us when there is nothing to compare against. It feels alarming to be called back, and most callbacks end with more pictures and a normal result.

The sentence about density

Breasts are a mix of glandular tissue and fatty tissue. The mix is different for every woman and it changes with age. On a mammogram, fatty tissue looks dark and glandular tissue looks white. Dense breasts have more glandular tissue, so more of the picture is white.

Density is about how your tissue looks on the picture. It is not a disease and it is not something you did. It is common.

It matters for one practical reason: a possible tumor also looks white. On a dense mammogram, white on white is harder for the radiologist to see. The 3D exam helps, because the radiologist reads the breast in thin layers instead of one flat picture, but it does not make density go away.

Texas law, known as Henda's Law, requires us to tell you if your breast tissue is dense. That is why the sentence is in your report. It is information, not a finding.

What your doctor may do with it

Your doctor reads the BI-RADS number and the density line together with everything else they know about you: your age, your family history, your earlier mammograms. Then your doctor decides whether anything more is needed. For many women the answer is nothing until next year.

If your doctor does want another look, the exams exist here. Desert Imaging does breast ultrasound at West, East, Joe Battle and Horizon City, breast elastography at West and Joe Battle, and breast MRI on the 3-Tesla magnet at West. Which one, and whether one is needed at all, is your doctor's call, written on an order. Insurance may not cover an added exam in full, so ask your doctor's office before you book.

What to do with the report

Read it, and write down your questions. If you see a 0 and have not heard from anyone, call your doctor's office rather than waiting. If you see a density line, know that it is common and that it will probably appear in every report from now on.

And keep the report, or know where it lives in your portal. Next year's radiologist will want to compare.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Follow the instructions your doctor and our staff give you for your exam.

Ready to book your 3D mammography?

Request an appointment online or call (915) 577-0100. Bring your doctor's order and we take it from there.

Request an appointment Call (915) 577-0100

# Your mammogram report: what BI-RADS and breast density mean *Your report uses a 0 to 6 scale called BI-RADS and includes a line about breast density. What each part means, and who decides what happens next.* October 7, 2026 · Desert Imaging A few days after your mammogram, a report lands with your doctor and in your patient portal. Most of it is written for the doctor. Two parts of it are written about you, and they are worth understanding before your doctor calls: a number from 0 to 6, and a sentence about how dense your breast tissue is. ## Who reads your mammogram One of our board-certified radiologists reads every mammogram done at Desert Imaging. The radiologist looks at the pictures layer by layer, compares them with your older mammograms if we have them, and writes the report. The report goes to your doctor, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and appears in your patient portal. That is why we ask for your previous mammogram or where it was done. A picture compared with last year's picture tells the radiologist more than a picture on its own. ## The number: BI-RADS Radiologists across the country report mammograms on the same scale, from 0 to 6, called BI-RADS. The point of a shared scale is that your doctor knows exactly what the radiologist meant, whoever did the reading. - **0** means the reading is not finished. The radiologist needs more pictures, or wants to compare with older mammograms that we do not have yet. It is a request for more information, not a result. - **1 or 2** means normal, or benign. A 2 means the radiologist saw something, such as a cyst or a calcification, that is known to be harmless and is noted so it can be recognized next year. - **3** means probably benign. The radiologist is confident but wants to check again, usually with a follow-up mammogram in about six months. - **4 or 5** means the radiologist recommends a biopsy. A 4 is a finding that needs a closer look. A 5 is a finding the radiologist is more concerned about. In both cases the next step is the same conversation with your doctor. - **6** is used only when a cancer has already been confirmed by biopsy and the mammogram is being done to plan or follow treatment. Most screening mammograms come back as a 1 or 2. A 0 is common too, especially on a first mammogram with us when there is nothing to compare against. It feels alarming to be called back, and most callbacks end with more pictures and a normal result. ## The sentence about density Breasts are a mix of glandular tissue and fatty tissue. The mix is different for every woman and it changes with age. On a mammogram, fatty tissue looks dark and glandular tissue looks white. Dense breasts have more glandular tissue, so more of the picture is white. Density is about how your tissue looks on the picture. It is not a disease and it is not something you did. It is common. It matters for one practical reason: a possible tumor also looks white. On a dense mammogram, white on white is harder for the radiologist to see. The 3D exam helps, because the radiologist reads the breast in thin layers instead of one flat picture, but it does not make density go away. Texas law, known as Henda's Law, requires us to tell you if your breast tissue is dense. That is why the sentence is in your report. It is information, not a finding. ## What your doctor may do with it Your doctor reads the BI-RADS number and the density line together with everything else they know about you: your age, your family history, your earlier mammograms. Then your doctor decides whether anything more is needed. For many women the answer is nothing until next year. If your doctor does want another look, the exams exist here. Desert Imaging does breast ultrasound at West, East, Joe Battle and Horizon City, breast elastography at West and Joe Battle, and breast MRI on the 3-Tesla magnet at West. Which one, and whether one is needed at all, is your doctor's call, written on an order. Insurance may not cover an added exam in full, so ask your doctor's office before you book. ## What to do with the report Read it, and write down your questions. If you see a 0 and have not heard from anyone, call your doctor's office rather than waiting. If you see a density line, know that it is common and that it will probably appear in every report from now on. And keep the report, or know where it lives in your portal. Next year's radiologist will want to compare.