FDA mandate requires women to be informed about their breast density
Dr. Danielle Heller, breast surgical oncologist at Hartford Healthcare's St. Vincent Medical Center, says the density of breast tissue plays a key factor in detecting breast cancer.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Mammography Quality Standards Act rule requires medical providers to inform patients the density of their breasts after their mammogram screening.
The rule also requires women to be informed about the additional screenings available to detect breast cancer besides mammograms like ultrasounds.
Dr. Danielle Heller, breast surgical oncologist at Hartford Healthcare's St. Vincent Medical Center, says the density of breast tissue plays a key factor in detecting breast cancer.
"In general, it's good to know if you have dense breast because you're probably at higher risk for developing cancer," says Heller.
Connecticut was among the leading states to begin informing patients if they had high-density breasts. The FDA mandate aims to increase early detection for more women at risk.
"It's going to raise awareness among the women in the general population that this is something they should look for on their mamo reports," said Dr. Heller.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends women 40 and older to get a biannual mammogram exam.
Medical experts like Dr. Heller highly recommends annual exams.
