What We Don’t Know Can Hurt: New Cancer Risk Survey from Myriad Genetics Reveals Serious Knowledge Gaps About Breast Density and Cancer Risk
New Nationwide Survey Findings Show That More Than Half of Women Do Not Know That Breast Density Can Reveal Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
SALT LAKE CITY, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN), a leader in genetic testing and precision medicine, today announced results from its nationwide Cancer Risk Survey: Breast Cancer Edition, which revealed that a majority (63%) of women do not know that there is an increased risk of breast cancer for women with dense breasts. The survey, now in its third year, focused on understanding the role of breast density and cancer risk among women ages 18+ in the U.S. Key survey takeaways include:
44% of women do not understand breast density and 63% of women do not know there is a connection between breast density and cancer risk.
Though dense breast tissue is normal, women who have it are at a slightly elevated risk for developing breast cancer.1 According to new FDA guidelines, by September 2024 all breast imaging facilities must alert patients by letter if they have dense breasts providing recommendations that they contact their care provider for follow-up and risk assessment.2 For women with dense breasts, additional screening methods such as ultrasound or MRI may be recommended together with mammography to improve cancer detection rates.
“Dense breasts present unique challenges in breast cancer screening, but awareness and proactive management can help mitigate these challenges,” said Dr. Ifeyinwa Stitt, an OB-GYN physician in Annapolis, MD. “By understanding their breast density and cancer risk, women can make informed decisions about their screening options and take proactive steps to prioritize their well-being.”
Only 66% of women believe that annual breast health checks are necessary.
The survey revealed that 92% of women understand that detecting cancer early means they may have more treatment options and a higher chance for better outcomes. Despite this understanding, only 66% women believe annual breast health checks are necessary.
“Finding breast cancer early is critical, as early detection can lead to improved patient outcomes,” said Edie Smith DNP, an Advanced Practice Nurse and Myriad hereditary and breast cancer subject matter expert. “But we know that dense breast tissue makes cancers more difficult to detect with mammography alone. The fibrous and glandular tissue associated with dense breasts appear white on a mammogram, just as cancer does. However, mammography is still the only way to determine if you have dense breasts.”
40% of women think they should receive additional screenings, like MRIs or ultrasounds, if they are identified to have dense breast tissue, but only 1/3 of those would consider genetic testing.
These findings expose a critical gap in understanding, as insights gathered through genetic testing may reveal patients at increased risk that would benefit from additional screenings to identify cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage. By combining genetic insights, family history and other clinical factors like breast density, MyRisk® Hereditary Cancer Test with RiskScore® calculates a woman’s 5-year and remaining lifetime risk of breast cancer. If a woman is found to be at high risk, she then has multiple options available to her, including a change in medical management.
“Breast cancer has impacted my family since before I was born – my great grandmother, grandmother and mother all passed away from breast cancer. My mother lost her battle at only 42, when I was only 21-years old,” said Ashley Dedmon, a patient advocate for Myriad’s MyRisk with RiskScore test. “I want every clinician in the country who may not think genetic testing is necessary to hear my story. Your patients want and need this screening.”
About the survey
Myriad Genetics Cancer Risk Survey is a nationwide poll conducted online by ACUPOLL Precision Research, Inc. from April 17-April 19, 2024, among a statistically representative sample (n=n=1,192) of U.S. females age 18+. The margin of error in survey results for the total base population at a 95% confidence interval is +/- 3%.
About MyRisk® Hereditary Cancer Test with RiskScore®
MyRisk® with RiskScore® evaluates 48 genes associated with hereditary cancer risk to identify genetic changes associated with an increased cancer risk for 11 different cancers. When combined with family history and other clinical factors such as breast density, MyRisk with RiskScore provides eligible patients with a breast cancer risk assessment individualized to them.
About Myriad Genetics
Myriad Genetics is a leading genetic testing and precision medicine company dedicated to advancing health and well-being for all. Myriad develops and offers genetic tests that help assess the risk of developing disease or disease progression and guide treatment decisions across medical specialties where genetic insights can significantly improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. For more information, visit www.myriad.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to how genetic testing, when combined with family history and other clinical factors such as breast density, may help patients at increased risk of breast cancer who may benefit from additional screenings identify cancer at its earliest and most treatable stage and how a women’s understanding of their breast density and cancer risk can help them take a proactive and informed approach as it relates to their breast cancer screening options. These “forward-looking statements” are management’s expectations of future events as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, conditions, and events to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. Such factors include those risks described in the company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 28, 2024, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in the company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. Myriad is not under any obligation, and it expressly disclaims any obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.
- Fibroglandular Density: What Are Dense Breasts? Breastcancer.org. Retrieved May 30, 2024, from https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/dense-breasts
- Office of the Commissioner. (2023, March 9). FDA updates mammography regulations to require reporting of breast density information and enhance facility oversight. U.S. Food And Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-updates-mammography-regulations-require-reporting-breast-density-information-and-enhance
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