Nebraska Enacts Cheri's Law for Breast Density Reporting

April 26, 2017 — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed LB195, Cheri's Law, on Wednesday, making it the 32nd state to report dense fibroglandular breast tissue to the patient through the mammography report in some fashion. 

The law states that all healthcare facilities that perform mammography must identify every patient’s breast density in the summary of the mammography report, based on the American College of Radiology’s Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). If the patient is determined to have heterogeneously or extremely dense fibroglandular breast tissue, an additional notice must be included that states:

• Dense breast tissue is a normal finding present in about 40 percent of women;
• It can make it more difficult to detect cancer on a mammogram and may be associated with a slightly increased risk for breast cancer; and
• Patients are encouraged to discuss the findings with their healthcare provider, as well as other breast cancer risk factors, to decide which supplemental screening options may be appropriate.

This is the fourth bill that was signed into law in the 2017 legislative session, as Nebraska joins Iowa, Colorado and Kentucky as the latest density reporting states.

For more information: www.areyoudense.org