ASPS Secures Passage of Breast Cancer Patient Education Act

December 18, 2015
American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons praised Congress for enacting the Breast Cancer Patient Education Act. ASPS led the stakeholder effort to advance the BCPEA, a campaign to ensure that breast cancer patients are informed about their breast reconstruction options.

Since passage of the Women's Health Care and Cancer Rights Act in 1998, health plans that offer breast cancer coverage have been required to provide coverage for breast reconstruction and prostheses. However, less than half of all women who require a mastectomy are offered breast reconstruction surgery and fewer than one in five elect to undergo the procedure. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed that almost 20% of women who don't undergo breast reconstruction reported a lack of knowledge about the procedure.

The BCPEA involves a campaign to inform breast cancer patients about the availability and coverage of breast reconstruction, prostheses and other options. The educational materials would inform women that breast reconstruction is possible at the time of breast cancer surgery or may be delayed until after other treatments. Women may also choose not to have reconstruction and opt for prostheses, or breast forms.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 230,000 women will be diagnosed with new cases of invasive breast cancer in 2015.

The Breast Cancer Patient Education Act is ultimately about getting the best information in the hands of women and their families to empower them in making the best choice for their care, according to ASPS President David Song, M.D.

"In recent years, we have gained a deeper appreciation for the fact that cancer treatment leaves not just physical scars, but also psychological, spiritual and emotional scars. Reconstruction can play a role in treating those non-physical forms of pain, and all members of the cancer team have an obligation to, at a minimum, make sure that their patients understand their treatment options."