Awareness of breast tissue density issues varies among American women. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota recently performed a national, cross-sectional survey to gauge differences in breast density knowledge across different patient populations.
Despite large-scale campaigns to publicize the importance of breast cancer screening, a lot of faulty information regarding the mammogram exam is still being delivered to patients and sometimes interpreted as fact.
To gauge where gaps in knowledge about breast cancer screening are most commonly occurring, the Working Mother Research Institute recently surveyed more than 2,500 women aged 35 and older to see what they know. While the results contain good news, there are areas where physicians can better educate their patients.
Early research has shown that 3D mammography can improve breast cancer detection rates and reduce false-positive rates. In women with dense breast tissue, which can mask cancers on conventional mammography, 3D mammography is emerging as a valuable supplemental screening tool.
In early 2013, the state of California required medical imaging centers to inform women if they have dense breast tissue, as revealed in a screening mammogram. Since then, many of our patients have asked me what is dense breast tissue?
To help women better understand breast density, I recently participated in a question and answer format for an Asian-American media outlet. Please find a summary of the exchange below. What breast imaging topics would you like me to discuss in my next blog post?
Across the country, more and more women will be informed when mammography reveals dense breast tissue – and that’s a good thing.
