The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is lauding the introduction in the U.S. Senate of the Find it Early Act, noting that the bill now includes molecular breast imaging (MBI).
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the bill (SB 5141) on September 23. It is the companion to HR 3086, which is meant to address insurance barriers to breast cancer screening beyond initial mammograms.
“Our team met with staff from both House and Senate sponsors to express our opinion and educate them on the importance of MBI as a screening option," the SNMMI said. "SNMMI was pleased to learn that molecular breast imaging was included as a modality covered in the Senate version of the Find It Early Act."
A majority of breast cancer cases occur in women with dense breasts, yet imaging technologies that can detect cancer in dense breasts are often unavailable because insurance does not cover them, and patients cannot afford the high out-of-pocket costs for the scans, the society noted.
