Komen applauds breast density notification mandate

Susan G. Komen is applauding the implementation of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule that mammography reports include information about a woman’s breast density.

The new federal requirement, which takes effect September 10, standardizes the notification language people receive, ensuring all patients across the country have consistent information about the makeup of their breast tissue.

Breast density is a factor that can affect a woman’s breast cancer risk. Women with very dense breasts are four to five times more likely to develop breast cancer, and dense breast tissue can obscure tumors in mammograms. Komen said it encourages women to talk with their healthcare providers about their breast density and whether additional breast imaging may be right for them. Mammography reports are now required to include a breast density assessment. The reports will include an overall finding – breasts are dense, or breasts are not dense – and additional detail about the level of density.

Komen is also calling for state and federal lawmakers to pass legislation that removes the out-of-pocket expense for imaging beyond a screening mammogram that women with dense breasts need. To date, 26 states have eliminated out-of-pocket costs to patients with state-regulated health insurance plans for diagnostic and/or supplemental imaging.

At the federal level, the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act has been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate. Komen said it urges legislative action to remove financial and administrative barriers to needed breast imaging.