Dodd Statement on National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Statement

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today in observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"This year, more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and almost 40,000 women will ultimately lose their battle with this terrible disease," said Dodd. "But with yearly mammograms and screenings, breast cancer can be detected early and thanks to the new health care reform law, preventive screenings are now more affordable than ever. Designating October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is one step we can take to raise awareness that cancer screenings and early detection save lives."

Throughout his career, Dodd has been a longtime advocate for early screening and prevention of breast cancer. He played a key role in writing and passing The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and fought to ensure that Americans would have access to preventive services, with no co-payments or deductibles, including mammograms.

Dodd was an original cosponsor of a bill that authorizes the United States Postal Service to issue a postage stamp to raise funds for breast cancer research and is a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, which would require a group health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to cover inpatient and radiation therapy for the treatment of breast cancer.

Dodd has also been a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act, which would award grants to conduct research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Additionally, he cosponsored the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act, which provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening services to underserved women across the country.

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