All women undergoing routine mammography should be notified of their breast density, the peak body for radiologists says.

In a new position statement published in December, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) has joined calls for widespread breast density reporting to inform patients of their individual risk.

“Whilst a future risk-based model for breast cancer screening is being developed, RANZCR recommends mandating the reporting of breast density in both screening and diagnostic settings,” it says.

Breast density is an established independent risk factor for breast cancer, with one in 10 Australian women estimated to have Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category D density, or extremely dense breasts.