Senate 606

WEST virginia legislature

2025 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

Senate Bill 606

By Senator Grady

[Reported March 7, 2025, from the Committee on Health and Human Resources]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §16-5A-6, relating to the notification of breast density; and providing for medical guidelines and information given to patients and health care providers.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 5A. CANCER CONTROL.

§16-5A-6. Notification of breast density.

(a) If a mammography screening indicates that a patient does not have heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts based upon the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System established by the American College of Radiology, the patient’s summary shall include the following language: "Breast tissue can be either dense or not dense. Dense tissue makes it harder to find breast cancer on a mammogram and also raises the risk of developing breast cancer.  Your breast tissue is not dense.  Talk to your health care provider about breast density, risks for breast cancer, and your individual situation.". The summary shall also include the patient’s specific breast density category.

(b) If a mammography screening indicates that a patient has heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts based upon the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System established by the American College of Radiology, the patient’s summary shall include the following language: "Breast tissue can be either dense or not dense. Dense tissue makes it harder to find breast cancer on a mammogram and also raises the risk of developing breast cancer.  Your breast tissue is dense.  In some people with dense tissue, other imaging tests in addition to mammography may help find cancers. Talk to your health care provider about breast density, risks for breast cancer, and your individual situation.".  The summary shall also include the patient’s specific breast density category.

(c) The report sent to the individual’s health care provider shall also include one of the following breast density category terms specific to the radiology findings:

(1) "The breasts are almost entirely fatty.";

(2) "There are scattered areas of fibroglandular density.";

(3) "The breasts are heterogeneously dense, which may obscure small masses."; or

(4) "The breasts are extremely dense, which lowers the sensitivity of mammography.".