Is there a relationship between having dense breasts and pathogenic BRCA gene variants (mutations)?

Disease-causing BRCA gene variants and dense breasts are each independent risk factors for the development of breast cancer; however, pathogenic BRCA1 or BRCA2 variants are associated with a much higher risk than that of having dense breasts. As BRCA1 and BRCA2 disease-causing variants are associated with a higher risk, MRI is part of routine screening beginning at age 25 to 30 for women who have these variants, regardless of breast density. Cancers are also more likely to develop at a younger age in women with disease-causing variants in BRCA genes, and the breasts are usually dense at younger ages making mammography especially ineffective as a standalone test in such women.