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Early Detection

While there is no known cure for breast cancer, helping women access early detection through low-cost, high-quality mammography is essential to surviving the disease. Timely mammography screening of women over 40 could prevent 15 to 30 percent of all deaths from breast cancer. When breast cancer is detected early, while still confined to the breast, the 5-year survival rate is more than 98 percent.

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA)

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)

Uninsured women are 41 percent more likely to receive a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis and are, therefore, three times more likely to die from the disease than are women with insurance. Established in 1991, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides low-income, uninsured and underserved women with breast cancer screening, outreach and case management services as well as access to services for early detection of breast and cervical cancer, including clinical breast exams, mammograms, Pap tests, surgical consultations and diagnostic testing.

Administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the program is currently implemented in all 50 states, four U.S. territories, the District of Columbia and 13 American Indian/Alaska Native organizations. To date, this successful program has served over 2.9 million women and provided more than 6.9 million screening examinations. Through the NBCCEDP, more than 26,000 cases of breast cancer have been diagnosed. In addition, the NBCCEDP has helped reduce disparities in screening for racial and ethnic minority women, who represent half of all women screened through the program. Yet, the current NBCCEDP funding level allows the program to cover only 18 to 20 percent of eligible women, meaning four out of five eligible women are not being screened.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure leverages federal and state funds by contributing additional resources for the NBCCEDP in local communities. Last year alone, local Komen Affiliates provided more than $58 million in additional resources for screening, education, outreach, case management and treatment services in communities around the country. Strong advocates at both the state and federal level, Komen Affiliates have also helped secure an additional $10 million in state funding for state breast cancer screening and treatment programs.

In the 110th Congress, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), along with Representative Sue Myrick (R-NC) and Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), sponsored bills in the United States Senate and in the United States House of Representatives to reauthorize the NBCCEDP with a demonstration project waiver provision to allow the CDC to adjust allocation requirements for as many as five states, as long as the number of women screened would not be reduced. On March 29, 2007, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 passed by a voice vote in the House and passed by unanimous consent in the Senate. The passage of this bill with the waiver provision was a major victory for women across the United States.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure applauds the strong leadership of the NBCCEDP sponsors and their staff, the hard work of the Senate and House committee staff, and the many others who helped this reauthorization bill through Congress.

In order to continue the important work of the NBCCEDP in meeting the needs of medically underserved women, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is advocating for funding at the authorized level of $225 million for the program in Fiscal Year 2008. Although this represents an increase of $21 million over the Fiscal Year 2007 appropriation of $$201.6 million, this appropriation will still leave the program under-funded and 80 percent of eligible women will not receive these life saving services.

Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA)

Before MQSA became law in 1992, an uneven and conflicting patchwork of standards for mammography jeopardized mammography technology and its efficacy. National quality standards for personnel or equipment did not exist and the quality of mammograms varied widely. In 1992, Congress recognized the importance of high quality mammography screening by enacting the MQSA, which established national standards of mammography care. MQSA established federal safety and quality assurance standards for mammography facilities, personnel (including doctors who interpret mammograms), equipment and operating procedures and has played a major role in advancing early detection and saving lives in the past decade. Today, mammography, while not perfect, is the gold standard for breast cancer screening.

The MQSA is up for reauthorization this year. Komen Champions for the Cure™ worked tirelessly to advocate for the last reauthorization of MQSA. More than 25,000 eChampions signed petitions and submitted letters to Congress. Additionally, Komen Affiliates from across the country mobilized petition drives, met with Members of Congress, and hosted site visits with Members of Congress at facilities that offer screening mammography in an effort to demonstrate the importance of MQSA. Komen continues to support reauthorization of this very important legislation.