Survey: What Women REALLY Want - Settling The "Anxiety" Issue!

Anxiety Survey Results

It has long been maintained that "anxiety" over a false positive is a stressful and possibly emotionally debilitating experience for women. This concern is one of the most frequently cited objections to legislative efforts seeking to standardize the communication of breast density to women. The National Survey, commissioned by Are You Dense, Inc. conducted in August, 2011 found that nine out of 10 women, who required a biopsy to determine a false positive, indicated that they would still opt for the additional screening the following year. In fact, 93% of women, if informed of their dense breast tissue would elect for additional screening as a mammogram is compromised due to dense breast tissue - missing cancer at least 40% of the time.

Read the entire Press Release Here (September 19, 2011) and View the Powerpoint Graphs Here.

Dr. Wendie Berg

"This survey clearly shows that women want information. We all need to be well informed about mammography: it is effective at reducing deaths due to breast cancer, but it is not perfect. In women with dense breasts, mammography is more likely not to show the cancer, if present, and women with dense breasts are also at increased risk of developing breast cancer. Adding screening with ultrasound or MRI detects many cancers missed on mammography, but either test carries a risk of false positives. There is also a shortage of trained personnel and resources for such additional screening. It is time that the debate centers on improving outcomes from this disease. Women should have the information needed to advocate for themselves in this process."

Dr. Thomas Kolb

"While medical authorities must weigh scientific evidence and recommend to the lay public whether, how often and with what tests women should be screened for breast cancer, there are times when these authorities must take into account women's preferences. These include patient anxiety and the issue of false positive examinations. Only a women herself can decide if the anxiety associated with the test changes her behavior to continue or discontinue screening. The issue of false positives is somewhat more complicated as it involves not only patient anxiety but also the cost to society of these examinations. However the cost of the false positive must be weighed against the cost of a false negative exam i.e.; missing a breast cancer. In this light, and in the age of minimally invasive breast biopsy, it is unlikely that most women would fear a false positive. When evaluating costs one must ask if a recommendation not to screen is influenced by insurance companies profits or government health care costs. If so, women may be angered to find that economics, in the guise of science, had any influence in health care recommendations. There is a time and place where women should take part in decisions affecting their health and this is one of them."