What do women know about breast density? A public screening program perspective

Background: This study assesses knowledge of breast density, one of breast cancer′s strongest risk factors, in women attending a public mammographic screening program in Western Australia that routinely notifies women if they have dense breasts. Methods: Survey data was collected from women who were notified they have dense breasts and women who had not (controls). Descriptive data analysis was used to summarize responses. Results: Of the 6183 women surveyed, over 85% of notified women knew that breast density makes it difficult to see cancer on a mammogram (53.9% in controls). A quarter of notified women knew that having dense breasts puts women at increased risk for breast cancer (13.2% in controls). Overall, 50.1% of notified women indicated that they thought the amount of information provided was “just right” and 24.9% thought it was “too little”, particularly women notified for the first time (32.1%). Conclusion: The main message of reduced sensitivity of mammography in women with dense breasts provided by the screening program appears to be getting though. However, women are largely unaware that increased breast density is associated with increased risk. Women notified of having dense breasts for the first time could potentially benefit from additional information.