Says Passage of Bill Will Mean Women with Dense Breast Tissue Will Have Another Tool for Early Detection while Researchers Attempt to Find a Cause and a Cure for the Disease
(Bay Shore, New York) — Rebba Martin, President, Breast Cancer Help, Inc., is urging New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign a bill into law that would provide the necessary information to women with dense breast tissue about the potential benefits of further screenings with their physician. She says this would give women another tool in the fight against breast cancer.
The New York State Legislature recently passed a bill sponsored by New York State Senator John Flanagan and New York State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee that would provide women with dense breasts the information they need to make decisions regarding their healthcare. Under the bill, every mammography report given to the patient must explain to them in plain language that they have dense breast tissue and should discuss the possibility of undergoing other detection methods, such as ultrasound, with their physician.
Senator Flanagan’s legislation was supported by Breast Cancer Help, Inc., who waged numerous email campaigns urging breast cancer supporters and local legislators to support the bill. These efforts to get the bill passed were initiated by JoAnn Pushkin, a Dix Hills resident and breast cancer survivor who is Founder of the New York chapter of D.E.N.S.E. (Density Education National Survivors’ Effort), a national grassroots organization to raise awareness about breast density.
Ms. Pace emphasized the need to get the bill passed, citing medical studies showing that breast cancer is five times more likely to occur in women with dense breast tissue and mammograms miss up to 40% of tumors that can be found behind dense breast tissue.
“We would like to thank Senator Flanagan and Ms. Pushkin, who worked really hard to get this bill passed,” Ms. Pace said. “Ultrasound is yet another tool for early detection, which is another weapon we have in the fight against breast cancer until a cause and a cure are found. This bill would provide women the availability of further screenings. I hope that Governor Cuomo signs the bill into law; I cannot see why he wouldn’t.”