Not long ago I wrote about dense breasts being considered a risk factor for breast cancer.
Now I find that there are actually several states, including NY, that mandate radiologists to notify women when their normal mammogram also shows that they have dense breasts. In such cases in NYS, the following text must be included in the lay summary mammogram report given to the patient:
“Your mammogram shows that your breast tissue is dense. Dense breast tissue is very common and is not abnormal. However, dense breast tissue can make it harder to find cancer on a mammogram and may also be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
This information about the result of your mammogram is given to you to raise your awareness. Use this information to talk to your doctor about your own risks for breast cancer. At that time, ask your doctor if more screening tests might be useful, based on your risk. A report of your results was sent to your physician.”
Dense breasts are extremely common, especially in younger women. But, it doesn’t matter how common they are; they still need to be screened effectively to err on the side of caution.
This can mean an ultrasound following mammogram or even an MRI because both of these methods of detection can often find cancers that mammograms miss in women with dense breasts. But breast ultrasound and MRI screening tests are less specific and can result in false positives that then warrant biopsies.
So, where does that leave women with dense breasts? Will getting such a letter make women more vigilant or will this be the beginning of a long, anxious road of annual screenings?
Women who are told they have dense breasts need to make sure that they get digital mammograms to get the best possible results from these screenings. They also need to speak with their GYNs to understand their risks for breast cancer and what additional screenings are necessary to protect their health.
