News | Breast Imaging | May 16, 2023

DenseBreast-info.org has issued a statement which states that the USPSTF Guideline should not apply to women with dense breasts, stating that the newly released United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) breast cancer screening recommendations are written for women at “average” risk for breast cancer

DenseBreast-info.org has issued a statement which states that the USPSTF Guideline should not apply to women with dense breasts, stating that the newly released United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) breast cancer screening recommendations are written for women at “average” risk for breast cancer

Getty Images


May 16, 2023 — DenseBreast-info.org has issued a statement which states that the USPSTF Guideline should not apply to women with dense breasts, stating that the newly released United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) breast cancer screening recommendations are written for women at “average” risk for breast cancer. But women with dense breasts are at higher risk. Further, the task force incorrectly concludes there is “inadequate” evidence to support adding screening MRI (or ultrasound if MRI is not possible) after a mammogram for many women with dense breasts.

Dense Breasts and Higher Risk

The task force guideline only addresses women at average risk yet includes women with dense breasts or with a family history of breast cancer in that group. The task force did not consider combinations of risk factors. Many women with dense breasts also have a family history of breast cancer and meet current “high-risk” criteria (greater than 20% lifetime risk). In these women, annual screening with MRI is recommended, in addition to annual mammography, by the American Cancer Society (ACS), National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria, and the 2023 ACR Screening Recommendations for Women at Higher than Average Risk. MRI, or ultrasound if MRI is not possible, should be recommended in women where annual mammography alone is inadequate, and this includes all women at higher risk.

FDA Final Rule

A new FDA rule going into effect in September 2024 will require all women be told that dense tissue makes it harder to find breast cancer on a mammogram and also raises the risk of developing breast cancer. In women with the densest breasts, about 40% of cancers are missed on a mammogram. About 40% of women of mammography age have dense breasts.

FDA, Additional Testing and Insurance Coverage

With the FDA final rule, women with dense breasts will also be informed, “in some people with dense tissue, other imaging tests in addition to mammography may help find cancers.” Women with dense breasts will be told other imaging tests are helpful, but, because the USPSTF does not recognize the benefit of this additional testing, their insurance may not cover such testing.

Why it Matters

Insurance, medicare, and the affordable care act rely on USPSTF recommendations to determine coverage of screening tests. Additional testing may not be covered by insurance if not recommended by the USPSTF. Women who need additional breast imaging tests may not be able to afford them due to lack of insurance coverage.

Need for the Find It Early Act

Many women with dense breasts are at higher risk for breast cancer and for missed cancer on a mammogram. Therefore, the USPSTF recommendations should not be applied to these women. The current USPSTF recommendations may cause confusion and prevent women who need additional screening from being able to access and afford it. The proposed bipartisan insurance coverage bill, the Find It Early Act (introduced by Reps. DeLauro and Fitzpatrick), may help. Insurance coverage should be consistent with NCCN Guidelines and ACR Appropriateness Criteria, and the Find It Early Act would ensure this for all women.

DenseBreast-info.org urges people to support the Find it Early Act, and offers details for contacting your congressperson here

For more information: www.densebreast-info.org

Related USPSTF Guideline Content:

Task Force Issues New Draft Recommendation Statement on Screening for Breast Cancer

RSNA Updates Its Position Statement on Screening for Breast Cancer

ACR/SBI Statement on New USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations

Hologic Statement on Recently Released USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines

Related Breast Density Content:

VIDEO: Research and Advancements in Breast Imaging Technology

VIDEO: FDA Update on the US National Density Reporting Standard - A Discussion on the Final Rule

One on One … with Wendie Berg, MD, PhD, FACR, FSBI

Creating Patient Equity: A Breast Density Legislative Update

FDA Needs to Ensure that Information on Dense Breast Notifications are Clear and Understandable to all Members of the Public

AI Provides Accurate Breast Density Classification

VIDEO: The Impact of Breast Density Technology and Legislation

VIDEO: Personalized Breast Screening and Breast Density

VIDEO: Breast Cancer Awareness - Highlights of the NCoBC 2016 Conference

Fake News: Having Dense Breast Tissue is No Big Deal

The Manic World of Social Media and Breast Cancer: Gratitude and Grief

Related Breast Imaging Content:

Single vs. Multiple Architectural Distortion on Digital Breast Tomosynthesis

Today's Mammography Advancements 

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Spot Compression Clarifies Ambiguous Findings 

AI DBT Impact on Mammography Post-breast Therapy 

ImageCare Centers Unveils PINK Better Mammo Service Featuring Profound AI 

Radiologist Fatigue, Experience Affect Breast Imaging Call Backs 

Fewer Breast Cancer Cases Between Screening Rounds with 3-D Mammography

Study Finds Racial Disparities in Access to New Mammography Technology

American College of Radiology (ACR) Launches Contrast-Enhanced Mammography Imaging Screening Trial (CMIST) in Collaboration With GE Healthcare and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation


Related Content

News | RSNA

December 1, 2023 — The Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) announced that Elizabeth Morris, MD, has been selected as the SBI ...

Time November 30, 2023
arrow
News | RSNA

November 30, 2023 — Hologic, Inc. showcased several recent developments in next-generation AI solutions at the 109th ...

Time November 30, 2023
arrow
News | RSNA

November 30, 2023 — Breast cancer mortality is significantly reduced when women regularly attend screening mammograms ...

Time November 30, 2023
arrow
News | Breast Imaging

November 29, 2023 — A deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) model that was developed using only mammogram image ...

Time November 29, 2023
arrow
News | Artificial Intelligence

November 28, 2023 — iCAD, Inc., a global medical technology leader in innovative cancer-detection solutions, and ...

Time November 28, 2023
arrow
News | RSNA

November 28, 2023 — iCAD, Inc., a global medical technology company developing cancer-detection solutions, will present ...

Time November 28, 2023
arrow
News | Breast Imaging

November 27, 2023 — Barco announces introduction of the DL Precise AI software in addition to the current Intuitive ...

Time November 27, 2023
arrow
Feature | RSNA

November 27, 2023 — The collective anticipation of the radiology community was palpable from early morning through ...

Time November 27, 2023
arrow
News | RSNA

November 22, 2023 — ScreenPoint Medical has announced that its Transpara breast AI has surpassed 5 million mammograms ...

Time November 22, 2023
arrow
News | FDA

November 22, 2023 — Lunit, a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, today ...

Time November 22, 2023
arrow
Subscribe Now