Siobhan Freeney Calls for Mandatory Breast Density Notification for Women Undergoing Mammograms - OncoDaily

Siobhan Freeney, Founder of Lobular Ireland, shared on LinkedIn:

“‘Nearly half of all women over 40 have dense breasts, yet a shocking number, in fact most women in Ireland, have no idea that this single trait dramatically spikes their cancer risk while simultaneously masking the cancer’.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill Laurna’s story demonstrates why it’s incumbent on this government to introduce Mandatory Breast Density Notification for all Women who have Mammograms Ivana Bacik, Pádraig Rice, Cathal Crowe, Marie Sherlock, Maeve O’Connell, Simon Harris, Micheál Martin.

We’ve been asking since 2016, during which time nothing has changed in Ireland.

This clinically relevant, information is systematically withheld from women in Ireland.

Having Dense Breasts carries a greater risk for developing Breast Cancer than Familial Risk.

Almost half of Women have this inherent risk, it can be SEEN on Mammograms but the information is not shared with women. It’s ethically wrong and it’s morally wrong.

WHO is responsible?

WHY is change taking so long?

HOW many more women and families, must come forward to national media, sharing intimate personal stories of delayed cancer detection before our government and health service says enough?

EchoLive spoke to 38 year old mother of two Laurna Quirke from Cork, who was recently diagnosed with a 12 cm Invasive Breast Cancer, having had 2 Clear Mammograms.

Laurna has had to have a double mastectomy, gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, she was only told AFTER her diagnosis that she had Dense Breasts even though that information could have been shared with her several years earlier, when Laurna’s Tumour could have been detected at earliest possible stage.

She was subsequently told the Tumour wasn’t seen on her Mammograms because it was ‘Masked in Dense Breast Tissue’.

‘If I had been told I had dense breast tissue and understood the significance and associated risks, I would have been afforded the opportunity to advocate for myself to have additional appropriate imaging. Providing this information to women empowers us to make informed decisions with healthcare professionals, helps safeguard against the potential harms of delayed detection’.

‘Having Dense Breasts is one of the most common breast cancer risk factors in women, yet remains one of the best kept secrets in modern healthcare.’

Laurna is one of a large group of women and families across Ireland who are campaigning for Standardised Breast Density Notification.

They say this is happening all too often.

‘No woman should have to wait until AFTER a diagnosis to ‘find out’ that she had Mammographically Dense Breasts’.

They’re calling on the Minister for Health to intervene and to introduce Mandatory Breast Density Notification now.

This has already been introduced in many other International jurisdictions to ensure Earliest Possible Detection for ALL Women who have Mammograms.”

Read more: My mission to help women be aware of their breast density.

Other articles about breast cancer and breast density on OncoDaily.