The FDA has announced a requirement for medical practices to tell patients when mammograms show dense breast tissue. But what does that mean?
SALT LAKE CITY — "We are pleased to inform you that your recent mammogram … shows no sign of cancer."
"It leaves me thinking maybe I'm not as in the clear as I think I am," said Martha Thomas, a Utahn who has received the density notification.for medical practices to tell patients when their mammograms show dense breast tissue, which will take effect later this year. Breast density notification has been required by law in Utah since 2018.
Breast density is mostly a result of genetic makeup, according to Kathryn Everton, a radiologist who specializes in breast imaging at St. Mark's Hospital. However, age and body type also play a role. Everton compared reading a mammogram of dense breast tissue to looking for a snowman in a snowstorm, while a mammogram of a breast that's mostly fat is like looking into "a clear pool of water.""It doesn't necessarily increase your risk nearly as much as having a family history or having a genetic mutation," Everton said. "It only slightly increases most women's risk.
In a screening breast ultrasound, or sonogram, either a handheld device or an automated machine uses sound waves to detect abnormalities that the mammogram missed. One downside to ultrasounds is that they find abnormalities that aren't cancer, which may prompt even more testing, like biopsies, for some women.
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