Twenty-Four State Density Reporting Laws & a Growing Number of Introduced Bills in 2016

Contact:    Andrea Cohen
                 Phone: 973-763-1137
                 [email protected]
                 On Behalf of Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc.

 

Eleven state legislatures working to protect its citizens from missed, delayed and advanced stage breast cancer as Mississippi becomes the latest state to introduce a density reporting bill.

Feb. 1, 2016  Press Release Below

Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. Announces Growing Number of Density Reporting Bills Introduced in State Assemblies as of 2016

For Immediate Release: February 1, 2016

WOODBURY, Conn. – Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. announces today that now 10 states have joined its grassroots efforts to insure women be informed if they have dense breast tissue after mammography, a key component to breast health. 

Oklahoma is the latest to stand alongside Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, New Hampshire,  South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia and Vermont to have introduced a density reporting bill as of 2016.  Currently 24 states have enacted legislation.  A link to an updated U.S. Density Reporting map is located here. 

In 2009, Connecticut became the first state to disclose dense breast tissue to the patient through the mammography report.  “Moved by my advanced stage cancer diagnosis within weeks of a normal mammogram, legislative champions gave Connecticut women access to the same critical breast health information that was known by their health care providers for years,” states Nancy M. Cappello, PhD, founder and director of two nonprofit organizations, Are You Dense, Inc. and Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc.  

“The disclosure of dense breast tissue allows patients the opportunity to discuss the masking and causal risks of dense breast tissue, along with other risks, with health care providers,” adds Dr. Cappello. “The intent of reporting legislation is to promote personalized decision-making about screening and breast health within the patient/doctor discourse.”

In addition to the state bills, through the relentless work of Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc., a federal density reporting bill currently sits in both the Senate and the House; it was introduced in February 2015.

“Clearly the issue of women’s right to know this important breast health information remains front and center for many who advocate for women’s health rights,” continues Dr. Cappello. “Today’s announcement reassures that our efforts for all women to have equal access to breast health information that can save their lives is going in the right direction.”

For more information about state and federal advocacy and education efforts, please visit AreYouDenseAdvocacy.org and AreYouDense.org.

Press Release here.

#####

 Visit the Density Reporting Map HERE to Check on the progress of YOUR state. 

Beyond the Mammogram - An education blog filled with scientific information about 11 awareness facts that Dr. Cappello discovered AFTER her advanced-stage breast cancer diagnosis.  Read it here.

STATE DENSITY REPORTING LAWS

These states are protecting its citizens from Missed, Delayed and Advanced Cancers because of Dense Breast Tissue:

Connecticut (2009), Texas (2011), Virginia, California, New York (2012), Tennessee, Hawaii, Maryland, Alabama, Nevada, Oregon, North Carolina, Pennsylvania (2013), Ohio, Missouri, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Arizona, New Jersey (2014) Louisiana, Delaware, North Dakota, Michigan (2015)

For more information about state, federal and regulatory efforts & a density reporting MAP go to AreYouDenseAdvocacy.org 

Back to News & Events
  
  • 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.

     
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •