New bill could help 50 percent of women in breast cancer detection
Updated: 10:35 PM CST Jan 12, 2015
Laura Terrell
Anchor/Reporter
Several Iowa cancer survivors plan to be up at the statehouse talking to lawmakers on Feb. 5.
One Iowa woman said if she had known one piece of information, her breast cancer could have been detected years earlier. Now, new legislation could change the way mammogram results are interpreted.Watch this story"I got that mammogram every year on time and without fail. I thought that's what you did when you want to find breast cancer early," Bridget Pargulski said.Pargulski did everything right. She thought when her mammograms came back as "normal" for four years in a row she was in the clear.But on the fifth year, she got devastating news: Stage 3 breast cancer."I used to think when I got my mammogram letter and it said my mammogram was normal, I thought that meant I don't have cancer," Pargulski said. "Now, I know what that meant was the radiologist couldn't see cancer, and there's a big difference."The reason the radiologist couldn't see the cancer is because Pargulski has what's classified as "dense breasts," something common in 50 percent of women.Dense breasts look much whiter on a mammogram X-ray, often masking a white cancer spot."I was at the mayo clinic, and they told me that my cancer has actually been there for five years," Pargulski saidThat's why Bridget and several other Iowa breast cancer survivors want lawmakers to pass a bill that would require health care providers to notify women if their breasts are dense so they can discuss other options with their doctors."This bill won't help me in any way. I am doing this for all the women in Iowa that don't know anything about this," said Pargulski.But there is harsh opposition. Critics like the Iowa Medical Society say legislation like this will frighten patients and may lead to unnecessary testing.Pargulski feels those tests are what save lives."When I started this three years ago, only five states had passed this legislation. Now we're up to 20, so I'm really hoping that this is the year that we can get it done for the women of Iowa," she said.Several Iowa cancer survivors plan to be up at the statehouse talking to lawmakers on Feb. 5.Stay with KCCI-TV and KCCI.com to see how the bill is doing over the legislation session.
One Iowa woman said if she had known one piece of information, her breast cancer could have been detected years earlier. Now, new legislation could change the way mammogram results are interpreted.
Watch this story
"I got that mammogram every year on time and without fail. I thought that's what you did when you want to find breast cancer early," Bridget Pargulski said.
Pargulski did everything right. She thought when her mammograms came back as "normal" for four years in a row she was in the clear.
But on the fifth year, she got devastating news: Stage 3 breast cancer.
"I used to think when I got my mammogram letter and it said my mammogram was normal, I thought that meant I don't have cancer," Pargulski said. "Now, I know what that meant was the radiologist couldn't see cancer, and there's a big difference."
The reason the radiologist couldn't see the cancer is because Pargulski has what's classified as "dense breasts," something common in 50 percent of women.
Dense breasts look much whiter on a mammogram X-ray, often masking a white cancer spot.
"I was at the mayo clinic, and they told me that my cancer has actually been there for five years," Pargulski said
That's why Bridget and several other Iowa breast cancer survivors want lawmakers to pass a bill that would require health care providers to notify women if their breasts are dense so they can discuss other options with their doctors.
"This bill won't help me in any way. I am doing this for all the women in Iowa that don't know anything about this," said Pargulski.
But there is harsh opposition. Critics like the Iowa Medical Society say legislation like this will frighten patients and may lead to unnecessary testing.
Pargulski feels those tests are what save lives.
"When I started this three years ago, only five states had passed this legislation. Now we're up to 20, so I'm really hoping that this is the year that we can get it done for the women of Iowa," she said.
Stay with KCCI-TV and KCCI.com to see how the bill is doing over the legislation session.