[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 23494] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]BREAST CANCER PATIENT PROTECTION ACT OF 2007 ______ HON. BOB ETHERIDGE of north carolina in the house of representatives Monday, September 29, 2008 Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 758, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007. This important legislation will ensure that patients have the health care they need following breast cancer surgery. In America, there are more than 2.4 million women living with breast cancer. In 2007, more than 178,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed. The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act would help ensure that these patients will have adequate support after breast cancer surgery by guaranteeing a minimum hospital stay of 48 hours for a woman having a mastectomy or lumpectomy and 24 hours for a woman undergoing a lymph node removal. Anyone who has watched a loved one fight this illness understands that the last thing any woman should be doing at that time is fighting with her insurance company. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 758. With millions of women in American being affected by this horrible disease, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act will ensure they have access to adequate medical support after their surgery. ____________________