Only Limited Short-Term Psychological Effect Seen for Breast Density Awareness

TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Awareness of breast density (BD) is associated with short-term increases in perceived breast cancer risks for some women but does not have a long-term impact, according to a study recently published in Breast Cancer Research.

Erica J. Lee Argov, M.P.H., from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, and colleagues examined breast cancer worry, perceived breast cancer risk, and uncertainties about breast cancer risk and screening choices in short-term (one to three months) and long-term (nine to 18 months) surveys following the enrollment screening mammogram in a predominantly Hispanic New York City screening cohort.

The researchers found that BD awareness was associated with increased perceived risk in multivariable models using short-term surveys (odds ratios, 2.27 and 2.19 for high and moderate risk, respectively, versus low risk) in the overall sample and with increased uncertainty about risk and uncertainty about screening choices (odds ratios, 1.97 and 1.73 per 1-unit increase, respectively) in Spanish-speaking women. Among women with at least some college education, dense breast notification was associated with reduced perceived risk (odds ratios, 0.32 and 0.50 for high and moderate risk, respectively, versus low risk), while an increase was seen for those with a high school education or less (odds ratio, 3.01 for high versus low risk). No associations were observed for dense breast notification or BD awareness with short-term breast cancer worry or any long-term psychological outcomes.

"The lack of an association in the long-term surveys doesn't support the concerns raised about sustained adverse consequences of dense breast notification implementation on emotional or psychological outcomes in this population," Argov said in a statement.

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