"Mammogram centers must now inform women about their breast density"

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@DOCTORMOHDASIF|"Mammogram centers must now inform women about their breast density"|"Learn How Breast Density Impacts Cancer Risk With Dr. Liz O'Riordan - Cancer || Dr Liz O'Riordan" How Breast Density Affects Mammograms: New Mandates Empower Women’s Health| In a pivotal step for women’s health, mammogram centers are now required to inform patients about their breast density. This crucial update ensures that women have access to vital information regarding how breast density can influence mammogram results and cancer detection. In this video, we explain what breast density is, why it matters, and how this new requirement can improve early detection of breast cancer. Stay informed and take control of your breast health with these essential insights. Like, share, and subscribe for more expert content on women's health and wellness #.Mammogram centers must now inform # women about their breast density" #@doctormohasif #"Learn How Breast Density  #Impacts Cancer Risk  # With Dr. Liz O'Riordan - Cancer # Dr Liz O'Riordan"

Transcript

00:00What is breast density and why does it matter? Breast density is categorized into four categories

00:06fatty, scattered tissue, heterogeneously dense, or extremely dense. Dense breasts are composed

00:13of more fibrous, connective tissue, and glandular tissue, meaning glands that produce milk and tubes

00:19that carry it to the nipple than fatty tissue. Because fibroglandular tissue and breast masses

00:25both look white on mammographic images, greater breast density makes it more difficult to detect

00:30cancer. Nearly half of all American women are categorized as having dense breasts.

00:36Having dense breasts also increases the risk of getting breast cancer,

00:40though the reason for this is unknown. Because of this, decisions about breast cancer screening

00:45get more complicated. While evidence is clear that regular mammograms save lives,

00:50additional testing such as ultrasound, MRI, or contrast-enhanced mammography may be warranted

00:56for women with dense breasts. What does the new FDA rule say? The FDA now requires specific

01:02language to ensure that all women receive the same accurate, complete, and understandable

01:08breast density information. After a mammogram, women must be informed whether their breasts

01:14are dense or not dense, that having dense breasts increases the risk of breast cancer,

01:20that having dense breasts makes it harder to find breast cancer on mammograms, that for those with

01:26dense breasts, additional imaging tests might help find cancer. They must also be advised to discuss

01:31their individual situation with their health care provider to determine which, if any, additional

01:37screening might be indicated. Why did the FDA issue the new rule? Prior to the federal rule,

01:4338 U.S. states required some form of breast density notification, but some states had no

01:49notification requirements, and among the others there were many inconsistencies that raised

01:54concerns by advocates, including women with dense breasts whose advanced cancer had not been detected

01:59on a mammogram. The FDA standardized the information women must receive. It is written at an eighth

02:06grade reading level and may address racial and literacy level differences in women's knowledge

02:10about breast density and reactions to written notifications. For instance, our research team

02:16found disproportionately more confusion and anxiety among women of color, those with low

02:21literacy, and women for whom English was not their first language. And some women with low literacy

02:27reported decreased future intentions to undergo mammographic screening. What is the value of

02:32additional screening? Standard mammograms use x-rays to produce two-dimensional images of the

02:38breast. A newer type of mammography imaging called tomosynthesis produces 3D images which find more

02:44cancers among women with dense breasts. So, researchers and doctors generally agree that

02:50women with dense breasts should undergo tomosynthesis screening when available.

02:54There is still limited scientific evidence to guide recommendations for supplemental breast

02:58screening beyond standard mammography or tomosynthesis for women with dense breast tissue.

03:04Data shows that supplemental screening with ultrasound, MRI, or contrast-enhanced mammography

03:10may detect additional cancers, but there are no prospective studies confirming that such

03:14additional screening saves more lives. So far, there is no data from randomized clinical trials

03:21showing that supplemental breast MRIs, the most often recommended supplemental screening,

03:26reduce death from breast cancer. However, more early stage, but not late stage, cancers are

03:32found with MRIs, which may require less extensive surgery and less chemotherapy.

03:37Various professional organizations and experts interpret the available data about supplemental

03:42screening differently, arriving at different conclusions and recommendations. An important

03:48consideration is the woman's individual level of risk, since emerging evidence suggests that women

03:53whose personal risk of developing breast cancer is high are most likely to benefit from supplemental

03:59screening. Some organizations have concluded that current evidence is too limited to make

04:04a recommendation for supplemental screening, or they do not recommend routine use of supplemental

04:09screening for women based solely on breast density. Others recommend additional screening

04:14for women with extremely or heterogeneously dense breasts, even when their risk is at the

04:20intermediate level. What should women consider about added screening? Because personal risk of

04:25breast cancer is a crucial consideration in deciding whether to undergo supplemental screening,

04:30women should understand their own risk. The American College of Radiology recommends that

04:35all women undergo risk assessment by age 25. Women and their providers can use risk calculators such

04:42as Tyrakusic, which is free and available online. Women should also understand that breast density

04:48is only one of several risks for breast cancer, and some of the others can be modified. Engaging

04:53in regular physical activity. Maintaining a healthy weight. Limiting alcohol use.

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