Study says women with dense breasts receive confusing information

A number of states have passed laws requiring notifications to be sent to women whose mammograms indicate they have dense breast tissue to help them understand the results of their screenings.  But a new study is saying the notifications are so confusing, many women are not able to understand what they are saying and that is leading to greater misunderstandings about their health.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and cited on NPR.org, found the wording on the notifications from some states to be so complex, only a Ph.D. would be able to understand the meanings.

Dense breasts, ones with more fibrous and glandular tissue, are common, but the only to determine if a woman has them is to get a mammogram.  The concern is women with dense breast tissue are more likely to have breast cancer, and the density makes it more likely that the cancers could be missed on the mammogram.

Women who receive a notice they aren’t able to understand could lead to a patient not following up with a physician to schedule a further evaluation, or may cause unnecessary worry about problems the patients don’t have in the first place.

The study analyzed notifications from 23 states, and found the language was widely varied.  Some notifications alerted the patients to the increased risk of cancer, some recommended the patient seek additional evaluations, such as ultrasound, or MRI, and some advised the patients to consult with their physicians.  The one thing lacking was uniformity of the message.

The big worry of the researchers was the information in the notices was just too complicated for many women to understand.  Calling the wording at or above high school reading levels, the study pointed out that almost 20 percent of American women real at levels below the fifth grade.

Nancy Kressin, director of the Health and Healthcare Disparities Research Program at the Boston University School of Medicine noted just a few high-level words makes the material difficult for many to understand.  She continues women with low literacy levels, a group that is already less likely to undergo preventative cancer screenings, could become anxious and confused when the notices are received.

Kressin adds the goal is to get these women to consult with their physicians about their own individual risks and the need for extra screenings, and the study group recommends simple and straightforward wording to accomplish that purpose.