Dense Breast Notification Legislation: More Reasons for Caution

Excerpt

The care of women with mammographically dense breasts has become one of the most controversial aspects of breast cancer screening. Among women with dense breasts, mammograms have decreased sensitivity for detection of cancer. Women with dense breasts also have a higher risk of developing breast cancer: although data are mixed, one meta-analysis suggested that women with heterogeneously dense (BIRADS category 3) breasts have a relative risk of developing breast cancer of 1.6 compared with women with category 2 breast density, while women with extremely dense (category 4) breasts have a relative risk of 2.0.¹ However, women with dense breasts do not appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer death. …