I write today to thank you for your commitment to the fight against breast cancer. We want you to know that we stand with you as you begin to implement health reform. During this time, it is critical that we ensure the promise of improved access to potentially life-saving early detection services for ALL women age 40 and above is upheld.

As you know, early detection of breast cancer is a key to surviving the disease. And while mammography may not be perfect, it's still the best tool available right now. Later diagnoses lead to larger tumors, more advanced cancers, and lower chances of survival.

Right now, one-third of women are not being screened due to access, education or awareness, and there are racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities in screening rates. It is vital that all women in the U.S. have access to, and utilize, potentially life-saving cancer screening like mammography, including women age 40 to 49, and younger women at high risk.

Yet we know that mammography is not perfect. We can and we must find something better. We are prepared to do our part to develop more accurate and more predictive technologies for tomorrow. But to make certain our efforts are making the most impact, we ask that a report highlighting government's investments in screening be developed and that they fit into a road map that will deliver the new developments to patients as quickly and safely as possible.

We must get screening right. I hope I can count on you to help lead the charge. Women's lives depend on it.

Thank you for your attention.