Dense breast patients at higher risk of cancer may need more screening. Who pays for it?

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Rochelle Broder-Singer was 49 years old when she was diagnosed with a common form of breast cancer last year. She caught it early thanks to diligent screenings, but as a woman with dense breast tissue, it wasn’t just a mammogram she needed.

By Sheli Muñiz • Published October 26, 2024

Every year, more than 300,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Last year, Rochelle Broder-Singer was one of them.

She says her cancer wouldn’t have been caught had she not done an ultrasound, too, but many women face challenges getting insurance to cover them.

“I got the call from my doctor who told me that I had breast cancer, and I actually had to ask her to repeat herself,” Broder-Singer told NBC6.

Broder-Singer was 49 years old when she was diagnosed with a common form of breast cancer last year. She says she caught it early thanks to diligent screenings, but as a woman with dense breast tissue, it wasn’t just a mammogram she needed.

“I just had a mammogram, and the technician turned to me right then, and she said, ‘You have very dense breasts. You're also going to need an ultrasound. You're always going to need an ultrasound,'" she said.

Women are now being told of their breast density after a new rule from the FDA. Dense tissue is a risk factor and can make it difficult to spot cancer on a mammogram.

"Now that women are being informed about their breast density and told that they have dense breasts, I hope it leads to them asking the question, what does this mean? What can I do about it?" Broder-Singer said.