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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
mammography results; notice; repeal
Purpose
Repeals the requirement that health care institutions and facilities provide specified notice to a patient identified as having extremely dense breasts.
Background
According to the National Cancer Institute, breast tissue is composed of
fibrous tissue, glandular tissue and fatty tissue. Dense breast tissue has relatively
high amounts of fibrous and glandular tissue and relatively low amounts of
fatty tissue. Mammography reports classify breast density into four levels: 1) almost
entirely fatty; 2) scattered fibroglandular tissue;
3) heterogeneously dense, which may obscure small masses; and 4) extremely
dense, which lowers the sensitivity of mammography (NCI).
Current statute requires a health care institution that performs mammography examinations to provide a patient categorized as having heterogeneously dense breasts or extremely dense breasts the following notice in the mammography report:
Your mammogram indicates that you have dense breast tissue. Dense breast tissue is common and is found in 50 per cent of women. However, dense breast tissue can make it more difficult to detect cancers in the breast by mammography and may also be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. This information is being provided to raise your awareness and to encourage you to discuss with your health care providers your dense breast tissue and other breast cancer risk factors. Together, you and your physician can decide if additional screening options are right for you. A report of your results was sent to your physician (A.R.S. § 36-415).
Effective September 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule updating the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act, which established a federal mandate for breast density reporting with specified language to be used in all mammography reports. These federal breast density reporting requirements apply in addition to state statutory requirements. (88 Fed. Reg. 14101 (Mar. 10, 2023)).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Repeals the requirement that health care institutions and facilities provide specified notice to a patient identified as having heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 9, 2026
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