DenseBreast-info.org Plans Social Media Educational Events During #WorldDenseBreastDay

DenseBreast-info.org is planning a series of social media activities to further educate women about the importance of dense breast reporting during its second annual #WorldDenseBreastDay on September 27, 2023.

The purpose of this worldwide one-day education marathon is to raise awareness about the screening and risk implications of dense breasts and share medically-sourced educational resources. Many women will hear the term “dense breasts” for the first time and be turning to social media asking, “What are dense breasts? What does it mean? What should I do?”

Building on the success of DBI’s 2022 inaugural event, #WorldDenseBreastDay will reach tens of thousands of patients, health providers and health organizations across the globe.  The 2022 event engaged participants in 37 countries with over 8.6 million posts read. This year, over 100 social media posts, including videos and dynamic visuals, in both English and Spanish, will kick-off #WorldDenseBreastDay beginning at midnight U.S.A./Eastern and running for 24 hours. Posts will include links to educational tools on the DenseBreast-info.org website addressing what breast density is, why it matters, and screening options for women with dense breasts.  Medical providers, health organizations, researchers and the general public are encouraged to participate. 

“The FDA Final Rule requires women be told if their breasts are dense or not dense and the European Society of Breast Imaging now recommends that European women be informed of their individual breast density.  It is crucial to get ahead of what the educational needs will be,” said JoAnn Pushkin, Executive Director, DBI. “DBI is the most comprehensive resource on the topic and this event has expanded globally to meet the growing need in the U.S.A. and beyond for medically-sourced information on the topic.”

“Forty percent of women of mammography age have dense breasts and mammograms miss about 40% of cancers in dense breasts. Many women with dense breasts would benefit from additional screening after their mammogram. The type of additional screening will depend on specific breast density and other risk factors as well as patient factors such as claustrophobia. Educational events like #WorldDenseBreastDay are essential to provide women and their health providers with the information needed to decide on optimal screening,” said Dr Wendie Berg, Professor of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and DBI Chief Scientific Advisor.