Sen. Crisco hosting breast cancer specialist

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HARTFORD — State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. (D-Woodbridge) will host Taiwanese breast cancer specialist Dr. Pai-Jung Huang at the Capitol next week.

Huang is Medical Director of the Taipei Medical University Hospital and wants to import for his country many of Connecticut’s breast cancer screening policies, championed by Crisco in recent years.

Crisco, who is Senate chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, will introduce Huang at a press conference Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Hearing Room 1B of the Legislative Office Building. Breast cancer specialists from Massachusetts are expected to attend the event as well.

Next week’s summit was coordinated by Nancy M. Cappello, Ph.D., president and founder of Are You Dense, Inc., a breast cancer information clearinghouse and advocacy organization. Cappello is a breast cancer survivor.

Crisco said, in a prepared release, initiatives to mirror Connecticut’s groundbreaking breast cancer screening policies, designed in part to help women with dense breast tissue gain access to all manner of screening options, are underway in at least eight other states and now two foreign countries.

“Connecticut has established itself as a leader in breast cancer awareness, now providing mandatory referrals to and insurance coverage for additional screening as necessary. Our proactive approach has already helped not just the women who live here, but their sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers besides,” Crisco said, 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 – I’ve pledged to help Dr. Huang and others adapt our policies to suit their needs.”