Poll of the Week: Provide Breast Density Info to Patients?
The ACR this week said "proceed with caution” when considering legislative requirements to include density information in the patient summary. What do you think?
Including breast density results in the mammography report gives the referring physician more information on the likelihood that cancer will be detected or missed given that pattern, according to the ACR. However, it’s less clear how patients understand and interpret that information, the ACR said in a position statement this week.
"While the ACR is not opposed to including breast parenchymal information in the lay summary, we urge strong consideration of the benefits, possible harms and unintended consequences of doing so,” the ACR said. The ACR recommended that "stakeholders proceed with caution” when looking at legislative requirements to include density information in the patient summary.
Three states have legislated patient notification of breast density. What do you think?
