A new regulation implemented this month requires mammography facilities to provide patients with information about their breast density. Denser tissue makes it harder to find breast cancer on a mammogram, and also raises the risk of developing breast cancer.

One woman knows firsthand how important the information is.

The Food and Drug Administration this month announced the new regulation to require mammography facilities to provide patients with information about their breast density.

“I do have dense breasts, so whenever they do a mammogram, they always have told me for the last few years that I should have an ultrasound with it. This time, they scheduled both, one right after another,” said Lauri Reese, a breast cancer survivor.

Reese said questions were raised from her ultrasound report, so they scheduled a biopsy. From there, she learned she had breast cancer.

“I was able to have it surgically removed and just have radiation. I didn’t need chemo because it wasn’t in my lymph nodes. I was able to just have three weeks of radiation,” said Reese.

Dr. John Restivo is a mammography and diagnostic radiologist for Radiology Associates of New Hartford. He said the group has been including breast density in their mammography reports for a number of years.

“The new regulations are making sure there’s a pretty standard language across the country in terms of describing that breast density, both in our reports and also in the letters or the explanations that are given to patients,” said Restivo, a mammography radiologist.

Restivo said the new regulation makes it clear that breast density matters.

“Having dense breasts means that you have relatively more breast tissue, and have relatively more breast tissue compared to someone who has less breast tissue will put you at, in general, a slightly elevated risk of breast cancer,” said Restivo.

Restivo said having dense breasts doesn’t automatically mean you can develop breast cancer, but when they are more dense, it is harder to detect because the tissue is obscuring the view. That’s why additional screening is needed.

“If they tell you to get an ultrasound, get one with it because it didn’t show in the other,” said Reese.

In addition the new regulations from the FDA, U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle announced the Find it Early Act. The legislation would ensure all health insurance plans cover screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds and MRIs with no cost-sharing.