Lawmakers Tout Legislation To Promote Breast Cancer Awareness Among Younger Women At High Risk

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 18 Jun 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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Legislation (H.R. 1740, S. 994) proposed in March would help make certain groups of women younger than age 40 aware of their elevated risk for breast cancer, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said Tuesday in a news conference sponsored by United Jewish Communities/Jewish Federations of North America, CQ HealthBeat reports. Wasserman Schultz -- who proposed the House bill after announcing that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year -- said that about one in 40 Jewish women of Ashkenazi descent carry the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 gene mutations, which make them three to seven times more likely to develop breast cancer. The mutations also increase women's risk for ovarian cancer, according to Wasserman Schultz. Few Jewish women are aware of the mutations, she said.

The bill would direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a national education campaign aimed at increasing awareness about breast cancer risk factors and promoting early detection of the disease among women younger than age 40. A second CDC campaign would seek to educate health care professionals about specific breast cancer risk factors and treatments. The bill also would develop medical counseling programs for young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Wasserman Schultz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said they hope the legislation will be enacted by the end of the year (Attias, CQ HealthBeat, 6/16).

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