House Approves Gordon’s Women’s Health Bill

April 8, 2008, WASHINGTON – Legislation U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon authored to improve analysis of tests for cervical cancer was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives today.

“In the past 15 years, we have seen great developments in medical technology, but the regulations for reading tests for cervical cancer have not kept pace,” said Gordon. “More than 10,000 American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. As a father, a son and a husband, I believe we owe it to women to make sure these tests are read correctly.”

The Cytology Proficiency Improvement Act, H.R. 1237, aims to improve the analysis of tests for cervical cancer by ensuring that health care professionals who read the tests are skilled in today’s medical technology. The bill modernizes the cervical cancer testing program by requiring continuing medical education for pathologists to assess their diagnostic skills and ensure they keep up with the latest practices. The program is modeled after a similar quality standards program for reading mammograms.

The American Cancer Society predicted 11,150 women in the U.S. would be diagnosed with cervical cancer last year and 3,670 women would die from the disease.

“The way to cut down on the number of deaths is to ensure that all cervical cancer tests are read correctly,” said Gordon, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.

Current regulations require pathologists to take a test to show proficiency in reading gynecological cytology tests, such as Pap tests; however, the current proficiency testing program is based on regulations drafted in 1992. It does not take into account technological advancements, which include digital imaging and computer-assisted screening.

Gordon’s bill has been endorsed by the College of American Pathologists, the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Society of Clinical Pathology. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.