'Every woman should know her breast density'

Apr 8 2011

D.E.N.S.E.^TM CA, breast cancer survivors advocating for breast density awareness, and Are You Dense, Inc., a non-profit breast cancer organization, kicked off a California-wide public awareness campaign today designed to increase awareness of the risks of dense breast tissue and its impact on the early detection of breast cancer.

“Compounding the problem is the fact that only 10 percent of women get breast density information from their doctor. Breast density is already included in the report radiologists send to primary care physicians - it's simply not included in the patient notification process”

Featuring grassroots outreach and Public Service Announcements, the "Every Woman Should KNOW her Breast Density" campaign is also designed to demonstrate wide-spread support for proposed California Senate Bill, SB 173, which would require that women receive their breast density information on their annual mammogram report. The public service announcements and information on how to support SB 173 can be found on Facebook at D.E.N.S.E. CA Do you KNOW your breast density?

D.E.N.S.E. CA is asking women "Do you know your breast density?" Despite the fact that more than 40% of women have dense breast tissue which can result in later stage diagnoses, a national Harris Interactive poll recently showed that 95% of women do not know their breast density. In addition, 90% do not know that it increases their cancer risk by up to 4-6 times, making it a higher risk factor than family history.

SB 173 was introduced by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) as one of two winners in his annual "There Oughta Be a Law" contest. Amy Colton, a registered nurse from Soquel, Calif., suggested a law requiring that women be informed of their breast tissue density when they receive a mammogram. Those with dense breast tissue would be informed of the limitations of mammography and the value of additional screening tools for dense breast tissue, and insurance would be required to cover the cost of the additional screening. For more information, visit SB 173 on Senator Simitian's web page.

"Compounding the problem is the fact that only 10 percent of women get breast density information from their doctor. Breast density is already included in the report radiologists send to primary care physicians - it's simply not included in the patient notification process," said Colton, a breast cancer survivor turned advocate. "By providing women this critical health information about their own breasts, it allows them along with their doctors, to make better decisions, ideally resulting in better outcomes.

"After seven years of receiving "normal" mammograms, it was not until after I completed treatment that I learned that I had dense breast tissue. Since this information was not shared, it denied me the ability to advocate for other screening tests that are proven to be more effective at detecting cancer in women with dense breasts. I firmly believe that this was the difference in being diagnosed at a later stage than it could have been," Colton added.

To help other women avoid delayed diagnoses due to high breast density, D.E.N.S.E. CA and Are You Dense.org urge Californians to support proposed California Senate Bill, SB173, as it goes to the Senate Health Committee for debate later this month. According to Colton, women need to make sure their Legislators and the Senate Health Committee know they demand early breast cancer detection. "Every woman in California should know her breast density."