On February 3, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a bill (S. 1879) to reauthorize the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved the measure on November 21, 2003 (see The Source, 11/26/03).
First enacted in 1992, the MQSA sought to correct wide variations in the quality of mammography screening around the country. The law established uniform equipment, personnel, and quality standards; required mammography facilities to employ qualified physicians to interpret mammogram results; and created a quality assurance and control program.
Sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), S. 1879 would reauthorize the MQSA for two years. The measure would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a temporary renewal certificate to a mammography facility seeking reaccreditation. The Secretary also would be permitted to issue a provisional certificate to a facility allowing it to conduct examinations for educational purposes while an accrediting agency is on the premises.
Sen. Mikulski noted, “Before MQSA became law, there was an uneven and conflicting patchwork of standards for mammography in this country. There were no national quality standards for personnel or equipment. Image quality of mammograms and patient exposure to radiation levels varied widely. The quality of mammography equipment was poor. Physicians and technologists were poorly trained. Inspections were lacking…By creating national standards, Congress helped make mammograms a more reliable tool for detecting breast cancer.”
