Bill would send women more mammogram data

SALT LAKE CITY — A state senator is worried that many women aren't getting potentially life-saving information about their health.

Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, is pursuing legislation that would encourage radiologists to include more data on mammogram results sent to patients. 

"Today I bring you a bill of love," Mayne told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Wednesday. "I don't want my sisterhood to have any more tragedy, loss of life, loss of income."

SB32 would encourage radiologists across the state to include information about a woman's breast density on the report they receive following a mammogram. Right now, the results only tell women whether or not cancer was detected during the test. But mammograms also detect dense tissue — a condition that occurs in many women, according to Dr. Brett Parkinson, the director of the Breast Care Center at Intermountain Medical Center. 

Dense breast tissue isn't harmful in and of itself, but mammograms aren't as effective in detecting cancers in women who have dense tissue, he said. Findings at the 10th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons in 2009 revealed that dense tissues become less prevalent as women age. 

Mayne's bill encourages clinics or hospitals that provide mammograms to notify patients if they have dense tissue, so they can consult with their doctors and together make a decision about whether they need followup tests such as MRIs or ultrasounds. 

"All this bill intends to do is inform women whether or not they belong to the group for which mammography may be compromised or not as effective," Parkinson said.

The bill was amended so providing the tissue density information wouldn't be mandated, but would be encouraged. The proposal received unanimous support from the committee and will go next to the Senate floor.

Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, said he was uncomfortable with putting non-binding recommendations into law. 

"I have a general concern in incorporating suggestions into our code. … I'm concerned about where this is trending," he said. "If we go too far down this path, we may rue the day."

Madsen said he doesn't take issue with the recommendations themselves, but doesn't like the idea of legislating the medical field. Yet he, like the rest of the committee, voted in favor of the proposal.

Michelle McOmber, executive vice president of the Utah Medical Association, said her organization supports the amended version of the bill.