Texas regulations on breast cancer testing become federal law, a step toward early cancer detection – Houston Public Media

The Food and Drug Administration recently added a page to Texas’ policy document requiring the federal government to inform patients undergoing mammograms of their breast density, a factor that affects how easily a scan detects cancer. It was made mandatory.

Dr. Claudia Cotes, chief of breast imaging at UTHealth Houston, explained that the breast is made up of two types of tissue: glandular tissue and fatty tissue.

Dense breasts mean there’s more glandular tissue, but that’s nothing to worry about, Coates said. However, she emphasized that having more glandular tissue makes it difficult for doctors to detect cancer cells, as they both appear white on a mammogram.

“We can see things in black and white. Most breast tissue looks very white on a mammogram, and then many cancers usually look white as well,” Coates said. . “It may hide the cancer or make it harder to see.”

Coates said if a patient has dense breasts, they should undergo another, more comprehensive test, such as an ultrasound or MRI, which can more accurately detect cancerous tissue.

That’s why in 2012, Texas enacted a rule, also known as Henda’s law, that requires mammography facilities to notify patients if they have dense breasts.. Since then, 18 other states have adopted the regulation, and earlier this fall, the FDA made it a federal requirement.

More than 21,000 women in Texas are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. According to the Texas Department of Health and Human ServicesIt is estimated that nearly 3,500 people died from it. Additionally, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the state.

Coates said most of her patients tend to have dense breast tissue, and it’s more important for people to know that the denser the breast, the harder it is to detect cancer. Ta.

“Breast density is not something you can control, right?” Coates said. “It doesn’t define what your body will look like. It’s just part of who you are. The only way to know how dense your breasts are is through your first mammogram.”