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TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — State dense-breast notification (DBN) laws are not associated with increased understanding of the clinical implications of breast density, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Kelly A. Kyanko, M.D., from the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues surveyed 1,928 women (aged 40 to 59 years) without a personal history of breast cancer and at least one screening mammogram. The questionnaire assessed the relationship between residing in a state with a DBN law and women’s awareness and knowledge about breast density and breast cancer anxiety.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that women residing in DBN states were more likely to report increased breast density versus women residing in non-DBN states (43.6 versus 32.7 percent; adjusted odds ratio, 1.70). The impact of DBN on women’s reporting of dense breasts was significant for women with more than a high school education, but not among women with a high school education or less. Overall, only 23 percent of women knew that increased breast density was associated with a higher risk for breast cancer, while 68 percent of women understood that dense breasts decreased the sensitivity of mammography. For awareness and knowledge and for breast cancer-related anxiety, there were no significant differences between women in DBN states and non-DBN states.<\/p>\n
“Improving readability and understandability of notification language, or other forms of educational efforts may help improve understanding of breast density for all women,” the authors write.<\/p>\n
One author disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical and health care technology companies.<\/p>\n
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