In a significant stride towards enhancing cancer care accessibility in the United States, the Susan G. Komen foundation has praised a recent milestone in the legislative journey of the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act. The Act, having garnered approval from the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in December 2023, is now on its path to potentially becoming a transformative law under President Joe Biden’s approval.

This pivotal legislation is set to reauthorize and expand the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)—a program that has been paramount in offering breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment services to those who are low-income, uninsured, or underinsured. Since its establishment in 1991, the NBCCEDP has been a beacon of hope, reaching over 6.2 million individuals and facilitating more than 16.1 million screening examinations across the United States, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia, two U.S. territories, five U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands, and various tribal organizations.

The significance of the SCREENS for Cancer Act lies in its potential to address and reduce disparities in cancer care. According to Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen, equitable access to cancer care services remains a substantial challenge, with numerous barriers inhibiting timely access for many individuals. By advancing this Act, there is an optimistic outlook towards expanding the program’s reach and ensuring that requisite services are accessible to those in need, precisely when and where they are needed.

The Act envisages enhancing the NBCCEDP’s flexibility, allowing grantees to focus more on implementing evidence-based interventions and bolstering outreach efforts. This includes aggressive media campaigns, leveraging peer educators, and employing patient navigators to forge stronger community connections and reach individuals who are frequently overlooked in cancer screenings.

The SCREENS for Cancer Act has garnered bipartisan support, being championed by an array of legislators from both houses, demonstrating a collective commitment to advancing early detection, diagnosis, and modernizing a program with a long-standing legacy of saving lives.

Behind this legislative effort is Susan G. Komen®, a global leader in the fight against breast cancer. Founded on the promise made by Nancy G. Brinker to her sister Susan G. Komen, the organization has been at the forefront of battling breast cancer through advocacy, research, improving care access, offering direct support, and providing reliable information. The push towards seeing the SCREENS for Cancer Act become law is a testament to the organization’s enduring commitment to ending breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.

As this legislation makes its way through the final legislative hurdles, the anticipation grows for its potential impact on millions of lives, further illustrating the crucial role of policy in shaping the landscape of public health and cancer care accessibility in the United States.