Women's Imaging MinnieCast, Episode 12: Educating the public on breast density

Much ground has been made in educating the general public, as well as clinicians on how breast density is tied to higher breast cancer risk, and one group has been beating the drum for over a dozen years now.

DenseBreast-info.org (DBI) is an educational resource that aims to educate patients and clinicians, including those in radiology, about breast density. This includes providing resources for both groups and updating people about insurance coverage laws for supplemental imaging needed for women with dense breasts.

DBI co-founders JoAnn Pushkin and Wendie Berg, MD, PhD, join the show to discuss the group's work, history, and forward-looking initiatives. Berg, a previous MinnieCast guest, is a breast radiologist with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC.

JoAnn Pushkin and Wendie Berg, MD, PhD, discuss how public knowledge of breast density has grown over the past decade.

The two discuss DBI's work in supporting efforts such as the introduction of the Find It Early Act, which would require all health insurance plans to cover screening and diagnostic breast imaging with no out-of-pocket costs for women with dense breasts or at higher risk. 

DBI has also supported the addition of breast density notification laws and state insurance coverage laws, as well as led the creation of World Dense Breast Day for the National Day Calendar.

Pushkin and Berg also discuss imaging techniques and guidelines for women to follow when they receive notification for their breast density.

Watch the full video below.