HARTFORD — State Sen. Joseph Crisco, Jr. (D-17) along with Dr. Nancy Cappello praised a new California law to advance breast cancer awareness, early detection, and screening options for women with dense breast tissue.
The new California law, which passed this year and awaits the signature of California Gov. Jerry Brown, is closely based upon existing Connecticut law.
“Connecticut has established itself as a leader in breast cancer awareness, now providing mandatory referrals to additional screening procedures as necessary and insurance coverage for those screenings. Our proactive approach has already helped not just the women who live here, but their sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers besides,” said Crisco, who co-chairs the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, in a prepared release. “It’s extremely gratifying to know the success we’ve had here gives hope to women and breast cancer prevention advocates elsewhere and this news from Sacramento will help many women in California as that state adapts our policies to suit their needs.”
Efforts to replicate Connecticut’s groundbreaking breast cancer screening policies, designed to raise awareness, disseminate information and help women with dense breast tissue gain access to all manner of screening alternatives, are underway in at least eight other states and now two foreign countries the release stated.
“Sen. Crisco’s understanding of this issue and Connecticut’s legislation is spreading across the country,” said Cappello, founder and president of the Connecticut-based breast cancer advocacy group Are You Dense, Inc., in the release. “Internationally, we recently hosted a Taiwanese delegation in an effort to export these proactive breast cancer screening policies and we are working with Canadian authorities as well.”
