Ohio is positioning itself to be the next state to pass legislation requiring doctors to inform women of their breast density and possible risks following a mammogram.
Ohio Senate Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) and Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) introduced Senate Bill 392 earlier this month.
"Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. By having this additional information, women will be able to make proactive choices in managing their health," said Kearney in a statement.
Studies have shown that women with dense breast tissue — which often make it hard for radiologists to see abnormalities on a mammogram — have a higher rate of breast cancer. However, a recent study from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found breast density was not linked to increased cancer deaths.
If the Ohio Senate bill were signed into law, Ohio would be the sixth state to have a breast density law. Connecticut was the first state to pass legislation in 2009, followed by Texas, Virginia, California and New York in more recent years.
Federal regulation, which was introduced last year, is inching closer to reality as well. According to JoAnn Pushkin, founder of D.E.N.S.E. NY., draft regulation work on breast density reporting is advancing and the "publication for comment" process could occur in 2013.
"The advent of a federal regulation standardizing Breast Density Inform notification language would be welcome news for the 40% of American women with dense breasts," said Pushkin in an e-mailed statement to DOTmed News. In addition, she said, a bill with uniform language and yielding a single, standardized notification, would address any inequity and ensure that all U.S. women receive the same notification if a mammogram indicated their breasts are dense.
