FORCE in Action
Response to USPSTF breast cancer screening guideline changes
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended changes to the screening guidelines for breast cancer. The task force: Recommended against screening mammography for women ages 40–49; Recommended screening mammography in women older than 50 be performed biennially rather than annually and Recommended against teaching or performing Breast Self Exam (BSE) at any age. FORCE issued a position statement opposing these guideline changes, which included a petition to support mammography and breast self exam education for women.
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) Week and Previvor Day Resolution 2010 Passed
On September 15th, 2010, in a unanimous show of support, the House of Representatives voted in favor of a House Resolution sponsored by Rep. Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) to designate the last week of September as National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week and the last Wednesday of the month as National Previvor Day. Read the text of the resolution and View the list of representatives who voted on H Res #1522.
EARLY Act
The Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009 (EARLY Act) HR 1740 was introduced by Representative Wasserman (D-FL), a young breast cancer survivor who carries a BRCA2 mutation. The EARLY Act calls for a nationwide campaign targeting women under 40 and their doctors. this bill proposes a nationwide awareness and support campaign for women age 45 and under, including women who are at high risk for breast cancer or are breast cancer survivors, and their doctors. The EARLY Act includes broad-reaching public and healthcare professional education campaigns, prevention research, and additional support for young women diagnosed with breast cancer.
GINA Action
FORCE has added our signature to a letter drafted by the Genetic Alliance and addressed to the Secretaries of HHS, Treasury and Labor, addressing comments they have made about delaying aspects of GINA's implementation. The letter states, "Any delay in implementation would continue to allow employers to inquire about employees’ private genetic information or their families’ medical history, while penalizing employees who choose to keep that information private; any such exemption would create a loophole to significantly weaken the protections afforded to employees and the American people under GINA. We strongly oppose all proposals to weaken the rule or stop its prompt implementation."
Direct to Consumer Marketing
On October 9th, 2010, FORCE DC Outreach Coordinator, Lisa Schlager appeared before the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (SACGHS) to testify on behalf of FORCE about the harmful effects of direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic tests on our community. Download a copy of her comments.
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