Dr. Katz Stands with Are You Dense and Common Sense

Dense Breast Screening: Dense if We Do, Dense if We Don't?

Dr. David Katz responds to recent JAMA opinion piece that Density Laws Legislate Practice.

In a recent commentary in USA Today, Dr. Katz stands with Are You Dense Inc. in exposing the impact of dense breast tissue on the reliability of mammography screening to detect early cancer in dense breasts.

"As noted in JAMA, revised screening protocols for dense breast tissue are largely due to the tireless efforts of Dr. Nancy Cappello, herself a survivor of cancer in dense breasts, missed by mammography and found at a late stage. Turning that adversity into opportunity as only the true heroes among us ever do, Nancy founded the charity Are You Dense to protect other women with dense breasts from the false sense of security mammography was apt to provide them. Standard mammography is ill-suited to detect the early signs of cancer in dense breast tissue, which is present in as many as 40 percent of all women.

Nancy's efforts, along with those of many others she has engaged along the way – some famous and some not – have resulted in legislation in 24 states to mandate notification to women about dense breast tissue, and coverage for a modified screening protocol involving ultrasound. National legislation is in the works."

"The legislation does not require that women get screened for breast cancer, of course. The pros and cons of cancer screening are, as they have always been, subject to the customized decisions that play out in doctor/patient dialogue, affirms Dr. Katz."

 
Read the complete article Here.

 

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  • Are You Dense? Fact #1:

    Breast density is one of the strongest predictors of the failure of mammography screening to detect cancer.

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #2:

    Two-thirds of pre-menopausal women and 40% of post-menopausal women have dense breast tissue. 

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #3:

    Adding more sensitive tests to mammography significantly increase detection of invasive cancers that are small and node negative.

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #4:

    American College of Radiology describes women with "Dense Breast Tissue" as having a higher than average risk of Breast Cancer.

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #5:

    While a mammogram detects 98% of cancers in women with fatty breasts, it finds only 48% in women with dense breasts.

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #6:

    A woman at average risk and a woman at high risk have an EQUAL chance of having their cancer masked by mammogram.

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #7:

    Women with dense breasts who had breast cancer have a four times higher risk of recurrence than women with less-dense breasts.

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #8:

    A substantial proportion of Breast Cancer can be attributed to high breast density alone.

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #9:

    Cancer turns up five times more often in women with extremely dense breasts than those with the most fatty tissue.

     
  • Are You Dense? Fact #10

    There are too many women who are unaware of their breast density, believe their “Happy Gram” when it reports no significant findings and are at risk of receiving a later stage cancer diagnosis.

     
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