Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have collaborated to introduce a federal breast density reporting law. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) yesterday introduced the Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act in the 114th Congress, earning praise from patient advocacy groups.
The bill would set a minimum federal standard, as defined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, requiring physicians to notify women if they have dense breast tissue. Patients could then discuss with their doctors whether additional screening is necessary. No federal reporting standard currently exists.
The law is cosponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WVa), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bob Casey (D-Pa), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass).
Since 2009, 21 states have implemented breast density reporting legislation, following the lead of Connecticut, the first state to introduce such a law. Nancy Cappello, PhD, director and founder of Are You Dense Advocacy Inc and Are You Dense Inc, worked to pass the Connecticut law after learning she had stage 3C breast cancer whose presence had been masked by dense tissue. Cappello later founded the advocacy groups, which have helped facilitate a broader grass-roots movement.
“After more than a decade of working with legislators on the reporting of a woman’s breast tissue density, the strongest predictor of mammography missing breast cancers, I am thrilled that we are finally closer to standardizing reporting nationwide,” said Nancy Cappello, PhD, director and founder of Are You Dense Advocacy Inc and Are You Dense Inc. “This bill enables women to learn about critical breast health information, and ultimately empowers women to make informed breast health decisions.”
Other advocacy groups, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Breast Cancer Fund, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, also back the bill.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer deaths among Latino women and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths for white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.
The full press release can be viewed on Senator Feinstein’s website.
Get AXIS e-newsletters free. Subscribe here.