Congressional Women’s Softball Game: A swing against breast cancer

Tomorrow women in Congress will take on the women in media as part of the 11th annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game to take a swing against breast cancer. Of those who run onto the field and attend the game, many will have in mind the startling statistics around breast cancer: One-in-eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime, making breast cancer the second most common cancer in women and resulting in 40,000 deaths a year in the U.S.

This annual bipartisan softball game is a powerful symbol of how we can work together on n big challenges. Many of us know someone who has been affected by breast cancer: a friend, sister, mother or daughter. The game brings together women around a common cause and benefits the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), an organization that raises money and addresses the unique needs of young adults affected by breast cancer. Since the game began in 2009, the group has raised more than $1.3M.

Still, there’s more to tackling breast cancer than a softball game. Congress and the administration have a critical role in this fight by funding research through the National Institute of Health and other federal agencies.

A recent legislative success came last year, when Congress required the Food and Drug Administration to include a patient notification of breast density in the Mammography Quality Standards Act regulations.

This is particularly significant for the 40 percent of women who have dense breast tissue, which can hide cancer on a mammogram. Equipped with this information, women can have a better understanding of their options for supplemental screening, such as an ultrasound exam, to find anything suspicious that may have been missed on a mammogram.  

Moreover, the number of women veterans has tripled since 2001. The availability of breast screening services, from mammography to ultrasound and MRI, at Veterans Health facilities across the nation should increase to meet the needs of this group.

“In the past, the focus was primarily to improve image quality, but today we are seeing an additional focus on how we can make the experience better for our patients,” says Dr. Kathy Schilling, Medical Director of the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

A passionate advocate for both the broader cause and for active patient engagement in their own care, Dr. Schilling will be joining this week’s softball game. “I’m confident that by offering a better experience for patients, we can encourage more women to get their annual mammograms, which means we have a better chance of catching anything suspicious early.”

Today’s most powerful breast care innovations focus not just on earlier detection and more tailored monitoring and treatment, but also on providing a better patient experience.

While significant advancements have been made in breast imaging technology, one aspect of mammography has stayed the same: the need for breast compression. And for many women, the number one reason they don’t schedule a mammogram is because of the fear and anxiety from the potential result and exam discomfort. Yet, the choice to not get a mammogram can delay a breast cancer diagnosis and impact a patient’s long-term prognosis, as finding breast cancer early reduces a woman’s risk of dying from the disease by 25-30 percent or more.

Whether we develop medical imaging technology, raise awareness about breast cancer in the media, or advocate for policy that will benefit those affected by the disease, we all have a role to play in this journey.

We look forward to seeing the congressional women take on the media on the softball field, but just as importantly, we are honored to join forces in the fight against breast cancer.

Agnes Berzsenyi is the President & CEO of Women’s Health at GE Healthcare. GE Healthcare will showcase its breast care portfolio at the Congressional Softball Game on Wednesday, June 19.