Kavitha Krishnan (PhD, The University of Melbourne) This research found that, for women of the same age and body mass index, those with greater mammographic density are at greater risk of breast cancers that are larger and more likely to have lymph node involvement, and if affected, at greater risk of recurrence. Women with a greater percentage of mammographic density are at greater risk of having tumours masked on a mammogram and, consequently, a delayed diagnosis. These mammographic density measures are highly stable over time from early adulthood.