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The Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act of 2011

Floor Speech

Date: Oct. 5, 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Women Health and Health Care

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

* Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act of 2011, which will provide women and their health care providers with the information they need about identifying breast cancer risks and help to detect this deadly disease at the earliest possible stage.

* One in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. This year alone, more than 230,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 40,000 women will die of the disease. We know that there are risk factors, things that increase an individual's chance of developing for breast cancer--gender, family history of cancer, certain genetic mutations, and numerous others.

* Among them is dense breast tissue. Women with more dense breast tissue have a relative risk of developing breast cancer that is four or more times higher than individuals with less dense breast tissue. And dense breast tissue may also make it more difficult to identify potential problems on mammograms.

* This bill seeks simply to update the information that women and their health care providers receive after a mammogram. By including information on an individual's breast density in these reports, we can raise awareness among both patients and their physicians. We can help ensure appropriate screening, and help make sure that more women are diagnosed at an earlier stage of cancer.

* This legislation has been endorsed by several national organizations, whose letters of support I hereby submit for the record. And it is based on strong legislation already enacted in my home state of Connecticut. But women should not live or die because of geography--we owe it to women across the country to ensure that they have access to the information they need to make informed decisions about their health. This legislation will help the women in our lives and their health care professionals access critical, potentially life-saving information, and I urge my colleagues to support our efforts.


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