For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, women are urged to know their breast density

CHICAGO (CBS) -- October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - and we all know early detection is key.

But one group wants women to know sometimes a mammogram isn't enough.

On Sunday, Lake Zurich hosted the Paint the Lake Pink Walk to benefit the organization My Density Matters.

It encouraged women to learn what their breast density is because that can impact what mammograms can detect.

Marie Gilbert said she asked for more screening because she knew she had dense breast tissue. Because of that extra testing, she caught breast cancer very early.

"It was so small. Once they had done the biopsy, they did another mammogram they still couldn't see it. They could only see it on supplemental screening. So, really, programs like this, they save women's lives," Gilbert said.

The more dense your breasts are, the higher your risk of breast cancer.

Dense breast tissue on a mammogram is white. Cancer also appears white on a mammogram. Therefore, the more dense tissue you have the more difficult it is for the mammogram to find the cancer.

In:
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• Lake Zurich
• Breast Cancer