Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 31, Sec. 26. Effective June 16, 1993. Operative January 1, 1994, by Sec. 83 of Ch. 31. Inoperative on or before January 1, 2032, as prescribed in Section 18796. Repealed on or before December 1, 2032, pursuant to Section 18796.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 46,300 will die from the disease. In 1992, nearly 19,000 California women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 7,000 will die from the disease. Periodic mammography screening has reduced breast cancer mortality by almost 50 percent. Nearly 15 percent of early tumors are not detected on mammograms. Thirty percent of all tumors found on mammograms are missed due to poorly performed or misinterpreted tests. The direct and indirect costs concerning a breast cancer diagnosis exact a huge economic toll of eight billion dollars ($8,000,000,000) a year, with the impact on the health system, the loss of worktime, the loss of women employees and lives lost to a disease that bankrupts families emotionally and economically.
According to some studies early detection through mammography reduces the rate of death from breast cancer by 30 to 50 percent. The state of breast cancer screening must be continually improved to identify breast tumors. Current techniques for breast cancer screening include mammography, both film screen and xerography, and ultrasound.
enabling organizations and persons to conduct research.