Why some doctors see a downside to notifying women about dense breasts

Women 40 and older in every state are now receiving notifications about their breast density along with their standard mammogram report, due to a new FDA rule.

Like many women, Shamma Mullen breathes a sigh of relief every time she gets good news about the results of her latest mammogram. Two years ago, however, Mullen’s doctor sent her additional information that alarmed her.

She had dense breasts.

“I had never seen a letter like that before and had no idea what having dense breasts even meant,” said Mullen, 38, of Andover, Massachusetts. Mullen immediately went online to search for more information, and called her doctor with questions about follow-up tests.

Women age 40 and older in every state are now receiving notifications about their breast density along with their standard mammogram report, due to a new rule from the Food and Drug Administration. Massachusetts and 38 other states have already been sending notifications about breast density, which reflects the proportion of milk glands and connective tissue to fatty tissue. The FDA requirement standardizes those messages.

Dense tissue makes it harder to find breast cancer on a mammogram; and that dense breast tissue is a risk factor for cancer.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/doctors-see-downside-notifying-women-dense-breasts-rcna174342

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