To: Governor Andrew Cuomo
Bill to Require Accurate and Complete Patient Mammogram Reports
Sign the Breast Density Notification bill into law to ensure that lifesaving, material medical information is no longer withheld from a woman's mammogram report!
Why is this important?
40% of all women have "dense breast tissue" (a preponderance of fibroglandular vs. fatty tissue) meaning that a mammogram will routinely miss between 40% and 73% of cancers in these women. Despite this, if no cancer is detected, these women are told that their results are "normal." (More info at www.informwomen.org / www.inhqe.com)
Each year, 40,000 to 50,000 women with dense breast tissue receive false "normal" results when a mammogram is unable to detect their cancer. Within 10 years, 10,000 of these women will die as a result of their delayed diagnosis.
Most of these women are not aware that other readily available technologies can increase detection to 95%. We need Governor Cuomo to sign this bill (A9586D/S6769B, passed unanimously) which requires that women be notified of their breast tissue density and its impact on mammogram effectiveness.