The Vice President and the First Lady, as well as national leaders in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer, have been strong advocates for this initiative. Similar legislation has received broad bipartisan support under the leadership of the late Senator Chafee, Sen. Mikulski, Sen. Snowe, and Representatives Eshoo and Lazio, and the President today will call on Congress to act swiftly on his proposal. The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides breast and cervical cancer screening to over 360,000 women without access to these services annually. Typically, Federal government-sponsored screening programs make every effort to assist individuals diagnosed with disease to access treatment. However, thousands of women still face financial barriers to care, and those that receive some help frequently do not receive comprehensive coverage for services they need.
Early detection saves lives.
An estimated 2 million American women will be diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer in this decade, and half a million women will lose their lives to these diseases. According for the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 15 to 30 percent of all deaths from breast cancer among women over the age of 40 and virtually all deaths from cervical cancer could have been prevented with early screening. Uninsured women with breast and cervical cancer face barriers to receiving lifesaving treatment. Women who are uninsured are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than those with insurance. Not only are these women less likely to be screened, but the scope of treatment they receive is often limited by their ability to pay.