• Jan Endrikat, Gilda Schmidt, Bhagyashree Oak, Viplav Shukla, Prakirti Nangia, Nicolas Schleyer, John Crocker, and Ruud Pijnapppel.
• Radiology, Bayer AG, Berlin, Germany.
• Patient Prefer Adher. 2024 Jan 1; 18: 157715881577-1588.

PurposeWomen with high breast density (HBD) carry an increased risk for breast cancer (BC). The aim of the study was to provide data on awareness and knowledge gaps among women with vs w/o HBD about BC risk factors (BCRFs), which is the basis for effective communication about screening.Patients And MethodsThis was a web-based survey of 3000 women aged ≥30 and ≤70 from six countries. It comprised of 45 questions. T-tests and chi-square tests with False Discovery Rate adjustments were conducted as applicable, with significant differences reported at α=0.05.ResultsThree-thousand women were included in the analysis, 733 (24.4%) had HBD. Overall, 39% of women were familiar with the concept of HBD in the context of BC. Thirty-one percent of women were aware of HBD as BCRF and for 24% of women HBD was personally applicable. A significantly higher proportion of women with HBD were aware of almost all BCRFs compared to women w/o HBD (p ≤ 0.05). Similarly, a significantly higher proportion of women with HBD have undergone screening procedures compared to women w/o HBD (p ≤ 0.05). Women with HBD were significantly better aware of basic facts about BC (p ≤ 0.05). A total of 1617 women underwent mammography, 904 ultrasound and 150 MRI during their last screening. The most relevant source of information about BC was the health care professional, as reported by 63% of women.ConclusionOverall 39% of women were familiar with HBD as BCRF. Lack of BCRF awareness may contribute to delayed screenings, missed opportunities for early detection, and potentially poorer outcomes for individuals with dense breast tissue. Thus, this information should be communicated more widely.© 2024 Endrikat et al.

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