New Mammography Breast Density Regulations: What They Mean for Patients, Imaging Professionals, and Healthcare Facilities
September 18, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. ET
Mammographic exams have long been the standard of care for early detection of breast cancer. But for women with dense breast tissue, a mammogram may be insufficient to detect potentially dangerous tumors.
Effective September 10, 2024, updated federal regulations included in the Mammography Quality Standards Act mandate that women who are identified as having dense breasts during screening mammography be notified about this finding and be informed about the limitations of mammography when used on patients with dense breast tissue. Such patients are encouraged to consult with their physician, who may recommend additional imaging. The need to address the needs of patients who have dense breasts could lead to increased interest in ultrasound or MRI exams for breast cancer screening.
Join us for this live virtual event, where leaders will discuss the impact of the new regulations on patients, imaging professionals, and healthcare facilities.
During this webinar, our experts will discuss:
- The history of breast density advocacy and the development of the new regulations
- What breast density is, and how it can impact mammographic detection of breast cancer
- The new required reporting language to communicate with patients and referring clinicians
- The potential need to provide additional imaging for patients who have dense breasts, as well as the pros and cons of imaging modalities
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Speakers
Stamatia Destounis MD, FACR, FSBI, FAIUM
Managing Partner, Elizabeth Wende Breast Care
Stamatia Destounis, MD is a fellowship trained breast radiologist and Managing Partner at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care (EWBC) in Rochester, NY a private multisite facility specializing in breast care where she has been practicing breast imaging for 31 years (1993).
Dr Destounis became a Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) Fellow in 2010, followed by American College of Radiology (ACR) Fellow in 2010, and American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) Fellow in 2017.
Dr. Destounis was appointed Chief of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Commission in 2021, and Chair of the ACR Breast Commission in 2022. She currently serves as Chair of the ACR Breast MRI Accreditation Committee and Chair of the Mammography Writing Sub-committee for the BIRADS Atlas 6th edition. She is also the Chair of the ACR Audit Committee. She is on the Executive Board of the New York State Radiological Society (NYSRS) and a member of the Mammography Committee for NYSRS. She serves on the Board of the organization Densebreast-info.org and is active in several additional radiological organizations and research initiatives.
Rob Schluth
Project Leader, ECRI
Rob Schluth is a project leader focusing on content development and program management for ECRI's Device Safety group. During his 30 years at ECRI, Rob has contributed to hundreds of the organization's device evaluations, problem reports, and guidance articles spanning the full range of health technologies. Among other projects, Rob leads the development of ECRI’s annual Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report—a resource that identifies potential sources of harm associated with medical technologies and provides recommendations for minimizing risk.
Dan Merton, BS, RDMS, FAIUM, FSDMS
Diagnostic Ultrasound Specialist and Principal Project Officer
Dan Merton is a Principal Project Officer I in ECRI’s Device Safety group. He has more than 35 years of experience in diagnostic medical sonography and the use of medical ultrasound technology including 28 years in academic research. He has participated in more than 30 clinical trials and has extensive experience in integrating new and advanced ultrasound technologies into clinical practice. Mr. Merton’s primary responsibilities at ECRI include evaluating ultrasound technologies, providing consultation support to ECRI clients, and investigating device-related problems.
Since joining ECRI in 2013, Mr. Merton has evaluated a wide variety of ultrasound scanners including point of care scanners, general purpose scanners, automated breast scanners, bladder scanners, and cardiac scanners. Dan has also authored guidance articles on the use of advanced ultrasound technologies, reports on work-related musculoskeletal injuries in ultrasound users and purchasing considerations for various medical devices.
Joseph J. Cappello
Director / Co-Founder, Are You Dense, Inc.
Joseph J. Cappello, the cofounder of Are You Dense and Are You Dense Advocacy, married Nancy Marcucci in 1974, and the story began. Joe was elected Executive Director of the advocacy organizations in January 2019 after Nancy's passing from treatment related bone marrow cancer (MOS). His passion is to continue Nancy's legacy by pursuing their join goal that not one woman would die from a late-stage breast cancer due to dense breast tissue.
In 2004, Nancy was diagnosed with stage 3c breast cancer. The couple decided to start Are You Dense Inc. and Are You Dense Advocacy Inc. to alert the world about the high risk of breast cancer for those women with dense breast tissue. In 2009, Joe and Nancy championed the first-in-the nation breast density inform law in the State of Connecticut. To date, there are now 36 States that have breast density legislation. This has given thousands of women in the U.S. and around the world a voice, because early detection matters.
Joe’s entrepreneurial career has included developing businesses in real estate, manufacturing and distributing musical equipment, and working as an independent sales representative in the electronics industry.