Senator Bob Mensch's Bill to Improve Breast Cancer Detection Heads for Enactment

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Bob Mensch (R-24) to improve the early detection of breast cancer received final legislative approval this week and will be sent to the governor for enactment.

Senate Bill 358 will require facilities offering mammograms to provide patients with the notification of breast density.

“Each year, we discover new ways to combat this deadly disease and it’s important that we use that knowledge to save lives,” said Mensch. “Dense breast tissue is a relatively common condition, but it can hide abnormalities and complicate early detection of breast cancer. Notification will allow women to know their own breast density, so they can talk to their doctor about what their breast density rating means and whether they are at a higher risk for breast cancer.”

There were more than 232,000 new cases of breast cancer among women reported in the U.S. this year, with nearly 40,000 deaths. Women who have extremely dense breast tissue are at a four-to-six-times greater risk of developing breast cancer.

“About 40 percent of women who get mammograms have dense breast tissue, but almost 95 percent of women are unaware of their own breast density,” Mensch said. “Enactment of Senate Bill 358 will establish a protocol for informing women. Better communication and better screening can save lives.”

Senate Bill 358 is supported by the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. The House of Representatives gave final approval of the measure on Wednesday. 

More information about state issues is available at Senator Mensch’s website, www.SenatorMensch.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/senatormensch and Twitter at @SenatorMensch.  

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CONTACT: Sarah Stroman sstroman@pasen.gov (215) 541-2388