BreastScreen Queensland supports the May 2025 BreastScreen Australia Position Statement on Breast Density which recommends that women are informed of their mammographic breast density as measured on their screening mammogram.
Breast density is not currently recorded or reported within the BSQ program. However, Queensland Health is actively working towards statewide implementation of breast density recording and reporting, across its eleven frontline BSQ services.
Planning is underway, spearheaded by our Breast Density Working Group, led by BSQ state radiologist Dr Sonja Gustafson and supported by frontline multidisciplinary breast specialists. Routine recording and reporting of breast density in Queensland through the BSQ program is expected to be in place by 2027, as part of Horizon 1, as outlined in BSQ32.
Breast density reporting may be associated with increased anxiety for some clients and create further questions related to their individual risks. BSQ is developing consumer resources for women on breast density to inform them of their options. The Commonwealth Department of Health has released guidance for GPs to expand ongoing support for their patients. This will ensure a safe, equitable and holistic approach that is responsive to the needs of Queensland women, GPs and primary care partners, and BSQ’s workforce.
Regardless of breast density, mammography is still the best breast cancer screening test. Since the BSQ program commenced, the rate of breast cancer deaths in Queensland has almost halved.
Queensland Health encourages women aged 50 to 74 to continue having a mammogram every two years, regardless of breast density. Even in dense breasts, mammograms detect most breast cancers.
Read more about breast density recording and reporting on the BreastScreen Australia website.
Last updated: November 2025