AN ACT

 

1Requiring the notification of breast density to patients who
2receive a mammogram.

3The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4hereby enacts as follows:

5Section 1. Short title.

6This act shall be known and may be cited as the Breast
7Density Notification Act.

8Section 2. Breast density notification and information
9provided.

10(a) Inclusion of density information.--Each mammography
11report <-and any other written communication concerning the 
12mammography report provided to a patient by a mammography
13facility certified by the United States Food and Drug
14Administration shall include the patient's breast density
15information based on the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data

1System established by the American College of Radiology.

2(b) Notice.--The report <-and any other written communication 
3concerning the mammography report provided to a patient shall
4also include the following notice:

<-5If your mammogram demonstrates you have dense breast tissue,
6which could hide abnormalities, and you have other risk
7factors for breast cancer that have been identified, you
8might benefit from supplemental screening tests that may be
9suggested by your referring physician. A report of your
10mammography results, which contains information about your
11breast density, has been sent to your referring physician's
12office and you should contact him or her if you have any
13questions or concerns about your breast density or this
14report.

<-15This notice contains the results of your recent mammogram,
16including information about breast density. If your mammogram
17shows that your breast tissue is dense, you should know that
18dense breast tissue is a common finding and is not abnormal.
19Statistics show as many as 70% of women could have dense or
20highly dense breasts. Dense breast tissue can make it harder
21to find cancer on a mammogram and may be associated with an
22increased risk of cancer. This information about the result
23of your mammogram is given to you to raise your awareness and
24to inform your conversations with your physician. Together,
25you can decide which screening options are right for you,
26based on your mammogram results, individual risk factors or
27physical examination. A report of your results was sent to
28your physician.

29Section 3. Effective date.

30This act shall take effect in 90 days.