Improving breast density communication – does the provision of complex health information online work?

Breast density (BD) is one of a number of independent risk factors for breast cancer. Approximately 40%–50% of women in the breast screening population in the United States are estimated to have dense breasts, making it one of the most common risk factors for breast cancer. Apart from this, having dense breasts has also been shown to increase a woman’s risk of having an interval cancer diagnosed3 due to lower sensitivity of mammography in women with dense breast tissue at mammography screening. As a result of a largely grass-roots effort, the majority of U.S. states have now enacted laws mandating language in mammography reports, which notifies women if they have dense breasts and informs them of the risks related to dense breast tissue. However, effecting BD notification has not been straightforward, and has highlighted challenges related to how best to communicate density information and to guide women toward the appropriate management strategy.