Australia lags the world in breast cancer testing

TWO million women who are at higher risk of breast cancer are being denied crucial information that could help them detect cancer.

EXCLUSIVE

TWO million women with dense breasts and who are at higher risk of breast cancer are being denied crucial information that could help them detect cancer.

Australia is lagging well behind the United States and failing to inform women about breast density after a mammogram.

This is despite this information being the forerunner to extra tests to ensure they don’t have breast cancer.

A new survey of more than 1000 women found seven in 10 women think it is unfair they are not told about their breast density.

And half found one in two women would be more likely to vote for a Government which made breast density a national priority.

Breast cancer is very difficult to detect in dense breasts and follow up ultrasounds or other tests are needed to properly check for cancer in these women.

Seven in 10 US states mandate that women be given this information but Western Australia is the only state in Australia where it is compulsory to inform women of their breast density.

Some private providers in Australia give women information on breast density but it is not mandatory or part of the regular public breast screen service.

Women with dense breasts are at higher risk of cancer. Picture: Getty Images

Women with very high breast density are four-to-five times more likely to develop cancer than women with the least dense breasts.

Breast cancer group Pink Hope is campaigning for change in policy.

“Women across the country are telling us, in no uncertain terms, that they expect their healthcare professional to tell them if they have dense breasts,” Pink Hope founder and CEO Krystal Barter said.

“Nine in 10 women believe this should already be happening. However, current policy means this is just not a reality for the vast majority of Australian women.”

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If the change was made, two million Aussie women living with dense breasts would know their mammogram was not the final word on whether they had breast cancer.

They would then be able to be referred by their doctor for an ultrasound, 3D mammography or MRI – to manage their breast cancer risk, Ms Barter said.

Radiologist and director of Imaging Associates Dr Daniel Lee says trying to find cancer in dense breasts is like “looking for a polar bear in a snowstorm” because both dense breast tissue and the cancer show up as white in a mammogram.

It is normal for young women to have dense breasts but if they have a strong family risk of breast cancer they should consider alternative tests, he said.

Sydney mum and Pink Hope ambassador Brione Smink had a double mastectomy to minimise her risk of breast cancer.

Pink Hope has calculated it would cost around $4 million to install the software needed to determine a woman’s breast density into mammogram machines used by Breastscreen Australia.

Ms Barter has been lobbying state and federal politicians to drive a policy change but to date has received no commitments from any party to pay for the software needed.

“Federally they are well aware it is an issue I just want it to be further up the list of priorities,” she said.

The survey found one in two women would be more likely to vote for a Government which made breast density a national priority.

Sydney mum Brione Smink’s mother died of breast cancer at the age of 48, her aunt died from the disease when she was 52 and her cousin was also diagnosed with breast cancer.

Alert to her risk of breast cancer, Brione began having breast checks in her late 20s and five years ago had a double mastectomy to minimise her risk of breast cancer.

Her twin sister lives in Western Australia and the 43-year-old cyber account director says it’s unfair her sister is told about her breast density when women living elsewhere are not.

“I think women should be informed of their breast density, knowledge is power and if you know you have dense breasts you can be more thorough and look into ultrasounds,” Mr Smink said.