Bonnie Squires, Vice President of Development for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Genetic Testing Confidentiality, on Monday, May 8th at the State Capitol. The 10:00 a.m. hearing is open to the public.

Currently there is no legislation protecting persons undergoing genetic testing, from unlimited distribution of the information. Senate Bill 16, the Genetic Testing Confidentiality Act, sponsored by Senator Jane M. Earll of Erie County, would encourage people to be tested, with the assurance that they will be protected against unwarranted disclosure.

"Every woman has a right to proper medical treatment and privacy in that treatment," said Pat Halpin-Murphy, President of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. "Passage of this vital legislation would allow every woman to receive medical attention and testing that could ultimately save her life, without the fear of discrimination." Halpin-Murphy added that genetic testing and treatment is the wave of the future in healthcare. It offers tremendous potential for improved diagnosis and treatment of life threatening diseases. Many women, however, will choose not to have a test to determine if they have the gene that pre-disposes them to breast cancer, because there is currently no guarantee against discrimination in insurance and employment.

Squires added "A friend of mine who lost her life to breast cancer, as did her mother, has two surviving sisters. If these women opt for genetic testing, we do not want them to be afraid of losing insurance coverage once they have the results." The legislation if approved would promote the confidentiality of the collection, retention, use or dissemination of confidential genetic information. The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, founded in 1993, is a non-profit organization. It serves each of the state's 67 counties though programs such as the Income Tax Check Off program, Mother's Day Mammograms®, the Keystone Breast Cancer Conference and "67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania." The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition's mission is to find a cure for breast cancer and to improve the quality of breast cancer education, outreach and research in the state.

For more information contact the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition at 717-738-9567 or kim@pabreastcancer.org.