For those working to better inform the public about breast cancer, good news recently came in the form of the Breast Cancer Patient Education Act. According to PlasticSurgery.org, “The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) proudly leads in the effort to pass the Breast Cancer Patient Education Act, which requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to plan and implement an education campaign to inform breast cancer patients of the availability and coverage of breast reconstruction and other available alternatives post-mastectomy.”
The article notes that even though the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 offers breast cancer coverage that provides breast reconstruction and prostheses, many racial and ethnic minorities are not informed of these options. In response, the article notes, “The Breast Cancer Patient Education Act will inform women of their right to breast reconstruction under federal law and provide women with information about when breast reconstruction or prostheses may be appropriate within their recovery plan.”
The author also offers a few breast cancer facts, including “In 2015, an estimated 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society,” “African-American women under the age of 40 have a greater incidence of breast cancer than Caucasian women of the same age,” and “Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Hispanic women.”
The passage of the Breast Cancer Education Act should do great work in helping to erase some of these disparities. With knowledge of these coverage options, it’s just as important to find a surgeon you can trust to perform procedures such as breast reconstruction.
Rex E. Moulton-Barrett, M.D. is internationally known and acknowledged with board certification in two distinct surgical specialties, The American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and The American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Dr. Moulton-Barrett offers a variety of breast reconstruction options. If you’re considering the procedure, talk to your oncologist and breast cancer surgeon, as well as Dr. Moulton-Barrett, before your mastectomy. By doing this, the surgical teams can plan a treatment best individualized for you, even if you decide to wait to have reconstructive surgery later. We perform immediate reconstruction at the same time as the mastectomy. The advantage of having immediate breast reconstruction is that it means one less surgery.
If you’re considering breast reconstruction surgery, contact Dr. Moulton-Barrett for a consultation.