WHEREAS, The National Cancer Institute estimates that one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime and breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women; and

WHEREAS, 40 percent of women who get a mammogram have dense breast tissue; and

WHEREAS, Women who have dense breast tissue have a four to six times greater risk of developing breast cancer compared to women of the same age and health, and are twice as likely to develop breast cancer compared to women of the same age and health who have a first degree relative with breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, Research has shown that, using mammography alone, up to 75 percent of cancer is missed in women who have dense breast tissue and dense breast tissue is the most common reason a mammogram fails to detect cancer; and

WHEREAS, Although dense breast tissue is routinely observed, characterized, and communicated between doctors as a part of a mammogram examination, doctors speak to less than 9 percent of women about breast density and 95 percent of women do not know their breast density; and

WHEREAS, Medical research has shown that the rate of breast cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue increases substantially when breast cancer screening methods, such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, are used to supplement mammography; and

WHEREAS, Patient knowledge of breast tissue density has the potential to spare many women the tremendous physical and emotional suffering and financial strain associated with the treatment of advanced breast cancer and can reduce the cost of treating breast cancer by facilitating a diagnosis earlier and allowing treatment to begin when the cancers are smaller and more easily treatable; and

WHEREAS, Breast density information should be shared with the patient before the patient and doctor can begin informed discussions regarding the most appropriate and effective breast cancer screening approaches for each individual patient; now, therefore, be it