Statement of Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member
Committee on Energy and Commerce

IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 4555, THE MAMMOGRAPHY
QUALITY STANDARDS REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2004

October 5, 2004

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4555, the Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization Act of 2004. I am proud to have introduced this bill, and proud to have helped author the original Mammography Quality Standards Act which has made a major contribution to improving the quality of mammograms.

Just a few months ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a detailed report entitled: "Saving Women’s Lives, Strategies for Improving Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis." According to the IOM, "[m]ammography is a safety net that saves lives each year, . . . and although mammography saves lives, it is not perfect." The IOM report noted that many women who would benefit from mammography do not undergo regular screening and others who do undergo regular screening develop breast cancers that were not detected by their mammography exam. While the report notes that progress has been made in reducing mortality from breast cancer, it is still the second leading cause of death for women.

While research will hopefully lead us to improved techniques for detecting and treating breast cancer, another IOM study entitled: "Mammography and Beyond: Developing Technologies for Early Detection of Breast Cancer," concluded that mammography, while not perfect, is still the best choice for screening the general population to detect breast cancer at early and treatable stages. To be sure, there are important issues regarding quality and access with respect to screening and treatment services, and work on those will continue.

This legislation is almost identical to S. 1879, a bill introduced by Senator Mikulski that has already been passed by the Senate. The only substantive difference is the authorization period. Our bill extends the authorization period through FY 2007, two years longer than the Senate bill. But I support a timely completion of various mammography issue studies requested by Senator Mikulski, and I look forward to working with her, Chairman Barton, my other colleagues, and stakeholders, including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, to bring an MQSA reauthorization bill to the President’s desk as quickly as possible.