Ohio enacts breast density bill

Gov. John Kasich has signed Ohio's breast density notification bill into law, making the state the 20th in the U.S. to enact such legislation.

Effective March 2015, the law (HB 394, Section 3702.40) requires that mammography facilities send to each patient a summary of the mammography report containing the results of the patient's mammogram. If the patient has dense breast tissue, it requires that the report include the following statement:

Your mammogram demonstrates that you have dense breast tissue, which could hide abnormalities. Dense breast tissue, in and of itself, is a relatively common condition. Therefore, this information is not provided to cause undue concern; rather, it is to raise your awareness and promote discussion with your healthcare provider regarding the presence of dense breast tissue in addition to other risk factors.