Breast Density presents a dual risk for Women who have Dense Breasts.
1. The sensitivity of Mammograms to detect Breast Cancer in Dense Breasts is significantly reducing.
2. Dense Breasts carry an independent increased risk of developing Breast Cancer.
“Stop sending mixed messages, stop playing with our lives. All we’re asking for is access to our own Health Information, one extra line of Clinically Relevant Information on our Mammogram results letter. Knowing our Breast Density matters at every age”
The National #TellMeMyBreastDensity Campaign took their concerns to their National Parliament, Dail Eireann in Dublin, Ireland last Tuesday 13th October.
There is Cross-party Support for the Campaign. Elected Representatives listened to harrowing personal accounts from Women who spoke about their “Lived Experiences” of unnecessary, unavoidable delays in Diagnoses and subsequent treatments. The feelings of sadness and loss were palpable as they described feeling deprived of the opportunity for Early Detection and Diagnosis because they were not told that they had Mammographically Dense Breasts.
They are calling on the Minister for Health to mandate for Standardised Breast Density Reporting “Dense Or Non Dense Breasts” for all women who have Mammograms in Ireland, within the Breast Screening Programme, Public and Private Mammogram facilities also.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland run the National Screening Service (NSS). The Population Breast Cancer Screening Programme (BreastCheck) is run by the National Screening Service. The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) is the body who advises the Minister for Health about changes to the National Cancer Screening Programmes.
Mixed Messaging
Health Service Executive state that
“You’re more likely to have dense breasts if you: are under age 50, are pregnant or breastfeeding” (HSE 2023)
International Evidence
International Experts and Studies tell us;
50% of Women in their 40’s have Dense Breasts
40% of Women in their 50’s have Dense Breasts and a significant number 25% – 30% of Women aged 70 – 74 will retain their Density.
Long-term studies show that most women follow a stable trajectory, meaning if they started with highly #Densebreasts, their tissue often remains relatively dense compared to other Women their age, even if a minor overall reduction occurs.
SEEN but NOT SHARED
Through September and October the Irish National Radio Broadcaster, RTE – spoke to Women from all over Ireland about how their Mammograms failed to detect sizeable, node positive Invasive Breast Tumours, ranging from 2cm up to 12cm in size. Some of the Women are now living with incurable metastatic disease. None of the Women had been told that they had Mammographically Dense Breasts before they were Diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Mammographic SENSITIVITY in
#Densebreasts is SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED making detection of tumors difficult, sometimes impossible.
THE CORE PARADOX
A Clear Mammogram Result is an Incomplete Result for Women with Dense Breasts and can give a false sense of reassurance. Women in Ireland are calling for Mandatory Standardised Breast Density Reporting already introduced in other International jurisdictions.
The National Screening Service, Health Service Executive, abjectly refuse to inform Women about their personal Breast Density as SEEN on Mammograms, while attempting to reassure Women, in telling us Mammography detects the majority of Cancers “even in Women with the Densest of Breasts”
(HSE 2026)
Paradoxically, the Health Service Executive tell us “Essentially IF you are someone with Dense Breasts a Screening Mammogram may be less effective for you. You can’t tell how dense your breasts are by looking at them or by feeling them. Dense breast tissue appears white on a mammogram. But, and here’s the big but. Cancer also appears white on a mammogram. This can make it more difficult to spot breast cancer in the mammogram of women with dense breasts. So essentially if you are someone with dense breasts a screening mammogram may be less effective for you” (HSE 2023 Dr Alan Smith)
#TellMeMyBreastDensity
Women report being asked not to ask Questions at Mammogram appointments – does this constitute an infringement on their Patient rights, undermining dignity and respect? There are ethical considerations involved along with the right to Informed Consent. Women report feeling dismissed and fobbed off. We’re not taken seriously, our concerns are being ignored.
In 2021 members of Lobular Breast Cancer Ireland delivered a written Submission calling for Nationwide, Standardised Mandatory Breast Density Reporting to the NSAC_ANNUAL_CALL for changes to existing National Screening programmes.
5 years on there’s been NO Change
Breast Density remains SEEN by Radiologists but NOT SHARED with Women.
The NSAC, passed the Lobular Breast Cancer Ireland Submission on to the Health Information and Quality Assurance watchdog (HIQA) in 2023. They began carrying out a “robust” Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process in 2025 with earliest preliminary reporting not expected until end of 2027. (RTE Liveline) Any recommendations will then have to be assessed by the NSAC and in turn the Minister for Health, so it goes on.
Meanwhile, the HSE continue to miss their Breast Cancer Screening targets (last 3 years). Women also report waiting months for essential Imaging appointments, triple assessments in Symptomatic facilities.
Breast Density Campaigners point out that they were “robbed of the opportunity for Early Detection and timely treatment” of Invasive Breast Cancer because no one told them they had Mammographically Dense Breasts.
In 2025 alone, approximately 70,000 of the Women screened by BreastCheck will have Dense Breasts but no one will have told them. The Radiologists who read Mammograms will know if the Woman has Dense Breasts, shouldn’t the Woman be told too?
Knowing your Breast Density can help to determine your future Breast Cancer Screening needs. Knowing your Breast Density will help to inform critical conversations and shared decision-making with your Doctors and Healthcare Professionals.
Knowing that you have Dense Breasts is vital for helping to safeguard against the harmful effects of a potential late diagnosis amd treatment of Breast Cancer.
The ASK is Simple
Just give us our Information. Tell us what our Mammograms show, give us the full picture, notify Women about their Breast Density. No Woman should have to wait until AFTER a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer to find out that she had Mammographically Dense Breasts.
Women across Ireland have been campaigning for dissemination of their personal Breast Density Information as SEEN on their Mammograms, since 2016.
#DenseOrNonDense
#TellMeMyBreastDensity
BEFORE You Tell Me I Have
#BreastCancer
