After a mammogram, you may have gotten a letter in the mail that starts something like this: “Your mammogram indicates that you have dense breast tissue.” When I got that letter, I wasn’t sure what it meant for me or what, if anything, I should do about it. Off the letter went to a stack of other “nonurgent” mail to think about later.
Later has turned into now. That’s because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released a new rule on breast density notifications, part of an update to mammography regulations. Published March 10, the rule makes these letters a nationwide requirement and standardizes the information conveyed in them. Previously, 38 states notified people with dense breasts or provided information about breast density after a mammogram. The new rule, which goes into effect September 10, 2024, means everyone who has had a mammogram will be informed whether their breasts are dense or not.
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Why do people need to know this? If you just want the take-home message, here it is: Having dense breasts modestly increases the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. But breast density is just one factor among others to be considered when figuring out a person’s overall risk. Having dense breasts doesn’t mean you will get breast cancer, and not having dense breasts doesn’t mean you’re in the clear.
Ideally, receiving a notification about breast density would prompt a detailed discussion about breast cancer risk with a doctor. This column can’t replace that. But read on if you’d like to learn more about dense breasts and why the focus on them is a bit of a blunt instrument.
What are dense breasts?
Breasts are made up of different kinds of tissue: glandular tissue,…
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