Following personal battle, Sen. Klobuchar promotes preventative cancer screening legislation

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Following the news of her cancer diagnosis, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) says she began working on legislation to improve awareness and access to preventative cancer care.

“One of the things I learned from this whole thing, is that there are so many people that have put off their preventative screenings,” she said. “I did.”

Klobuchar was diagnosed with Stage 1A breast cancer in the spring. She has since been declared cancer-free.

According to Klobuchar, studies have found that more than one in three adults reported delaying or forgoing health care because of coronavirus-related concerns. Other statistics show that the odds that a woman received a breast cancer screening were 20 percent lower in 2020 compared to 2019.

As breast cancer awareness month comes to an end, Klobuchar introduced the Preventative Care Awareness Act in the U.S Senate.

“We put together this bill focused on early screenings and making sure people understand this is available to you,” said Klobuchar.

The bill would promote physicals, mammograms, and other routine examinations by decreasing health disparities through grants, establishing a task force, and directing the administration to implement a public health education campaign.

U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) are also named on the bill.

“Receiving regular health screenings from your doctor could save your life,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) in a press release. “My family has seen the importance of preventive health care firsthand as my wife, Jean, has been battling cancer since 2019. Unfortunately, thousands of American families share my family’s story and witness how a scheduled check-up can turn into lifesaving early detection of a horrific disease.”