More than half of primary care physicians (PCPs) are not advising women correctly about how breast density affects cancer risk, according to a study published online May 15 in the Journal of Women's Health.
A team led by Jordonna Brown from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City found that PCPs are not as aware of the increased risk of breast cancer risk for women with dense breasts or their state's breast cancer density laws, compared with their specialist peers.
"Brown and co-authors found that two-thirds of the physicians in their study felt the need for more education about breast density, with this being true of 85% of the PCPs in particular," said Editor-in-Chief Dr. Susan Kornstein in a statement released by the journal. "This represents a tremendous educational opportunity and one that could benefit a large number of women who are told they have dense breast tissue and face increased breast cancer risk."
