By Lennard M. Goetze, Ed.D – AngioMedical News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In a significant step toward improving breast health care equity in Pennsylvania, House Bill 433 (HB433) passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives with a resounding 198-5 vote on May 12, 2025. This pivotal legislation, aimed at expanding insurance coverage for diagnostic breast examinations without cost-sharing barriers, represents a victory for patients, advocates, and healthcare providers alike.
Recognizing this, the House Democratic Insurance Committee began work on HB433, designed to ensure that both screening and diagnostic breast imaging would be accessible without burdensome out-of-pocket costs — a move aligned with updated guidelines from the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) and federal health insurance mandates set to take effect in 2026.
• Replacing gendered language: Substituting “women” with “individuals” to ensure breast health coverage for all, regardless of gender.
• Clarifying insurance applicability: Modernizing outdated legal references and definitions within Pennsylvania’s mammogram law.
• Aligning with HRSA guidelines: Ensuring diagnostic breast examinations would include MRIs, ultrasounds, or diagnostic mammograms for any suspected abnormalities detected in initial screenings.
Cheri Ambrose remained an engaged advocate throughout the process, communicating regularly with Keller and other House staff to monitor progress. After a successful committee adoption of the amendment in April 2025, the bill was scheduled for a final House vote in May.
Final Passage and What Comes Next
On May 12, 2025, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Led by House Speaker Rep. Joanna McClinton amended the historical act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.0682, No.0284), known as the "Insurance Company Law Of 1921. The house voted overwhelmingly in favor of HB433. Cheri Ambrose received confirmation of the vote directly from Joseph Keller, who expressed appreciation for the ongoing advocacy and stakeholder input that helped shape the bill’s passage. The bill now moves to the Pennsylvania Senate for further consideration. If approved there, it will proceed to the Governor’s desk for final enactment. “No one should have to go into debt to access the health care they need, but high out-of-pocket costs can discourage people from seeking care", states Rep. McClinton. By passing HB 433 this week, the state House took action to help more Pennsylvania men and women access diagnostic breast imaging which can save lives and reduce the overall costs to our state’s healthcare system.”
Importantly, by adopting gender-neutral language and including men within the framework of breast health care policy, HB433 acknowledges the realities faced by male breast cancer patients, a demographic long overshadowed in public health conversations.
For more information on male breast cancer and ongoing advocacy initiatives, visit the Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance.
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Inside Pennsylvania’s groundbreaking insurance bill, the global male breast cancer crusade, and the long battle against bias in cancer medicine
INTRODUCTION: A DISEASE WITHOUT A FACE
For generations, breast cancer has been branded a woman’s disease — symbolized in pink ribbons, celebrated in women’s marches, and enshrined in medical protocols that largely overlooked one undeniable fact: men get breast cancer too.
That changed this year in Pennsylvania, where a legislative victory sought to make insurance coverage for breast cancer testing and screening gender-inclusive. But this is more than a legal footnote — it’s part of a global crusade led by advocates like Cheri Ambrose, CEP of the Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance, and Dr. Robert Bard, a diagnostic imaging pioneer, who have made it their mission to unmask the bias baked into cancer care and demand better for men everywhere.
THE BATTLE FOR RECOGNITION
The road to House Bill 433 was neither swift nor easy. In October 2023, Ambrose stumbled upon a bill that sought to waive out-of-pocket costs for breast and ovarian cancer genetic testing — but only for women. “It was one of those moments where you stop and think, ‘How is this still happening?’” she recalled.
Ambrose, who has spent over a decade advocating for men with breast cancer, refused to stay silent. She contacted state legislators, campaigned for amendments, and made the case for gender-neutral language. “We’re not asking for special treatment,” she explained. “We’re asking to be included.”
The bill’s passage marked what Dr. Bard called a “touchdown for men’s health.” And while Pennsylvania may be the first, advocates hope it won’t be the last. “This is the start of a ripple effect,” Ambrose said. “We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.”
A HISTORY OF BIAS IN THE CANCER WARS
To understand the significance of this moment, one must understand the deeply rooted bias that has defined cancer care. Bard, a veteran diagnostic specialist, described how male breast cancer has long been dismissed in both public consciousness and medical practice. “Men are told to get a colonoscopy at 50 — and that’s it,” he said. “Nobody talks about their risk for breast cancer. It’s been treated as a woman’s disease, period.”
The result? Delayed diagnoses, advanced-stage tumors, and preventable deaths.
Ambrose pointed out the isolating experience male patients endure in clinical settings designed exclusively for women. “Imagine being a man in a waiting room at a women’s breast center, surrounded by 50 women, with everyone staring,” she said. “That’s enough to keep a lot of men from ever getting checked.”
It’s a bias reinforced by years of underreporting and lack of male-specific advocacy. Bard added, “In medicine, what isn’t talked about doesn’t get researched, and what isn’t researched doesn’t get funded. That’s how health disparities endure.”
TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS AND THE PROMISE OF CHANGE
What makes this legislative progress even more timely is the emergence of technologies tailored to minimize invasive procedures — breakthroughs that are especially welcome for men, many of whom avoid traditional breast screening methods.
“In Europe and Canada, they’ve been using thermal imaging and ultrasound elastography for years,” Bard noted. “These techniques detect tumors by measuring heat and tissue stiffness, with no radiation, no pain, no compression.”
Ambrose reacted to these revelations with palpable excitement. “It’s incredible to think men might never have to endure a mammogram or biopsy again,” she said. “This is what advocacy should lead to — not just policy change, but clinical innovation.”
A GLOBAL MOVEMENT, ONE STATE AT A TIME
The Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance didn’t earn its name casually. For over a decade, Ambrose has worked internationally, connecting male survivors, collecting their stories, and advocating for awareness in countries from Canada to Australia. Back home, she spearheaded a campaign that convinced 45 U.S. governors to declare the third week of October as Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week, culminating in a federal recognition by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Her strategy? Start local. Build momentum. Make noise. “This bill is the same playbook,” she explained. “We’ll go state by state, one after another, until this is a national standard. And then we’ll take it to Washington.”
THE POIGNANT REALITY: BIAS STILL KILLS
While progress is tangible, both Ambrose and Bard are quick to remind us that bias in medicine has life-or-death consequences. “Delayed diagnosis kills,” Bard emphasized. “The tragedy is that so many of these cases are treatable — if caught early.”
Ambrose reflected on the men she’s met along the way — those who found tumors by accident, those misdiagnosed, those who were told ‘it’s probably nothing.’ “These men deserve better,” she said. “They deserve to have their stories told, their risk acknowledged, and their lives valued.”
CONCLUSION: A NEW CHAPTER, BUT THE SAME FIGHT
The passage of Pennsylvania’s House Bill 433 is a victory — but it’s also a call to action. It reminds us that systemic bias can be undone, but only through unrelenting advocacy, public pressure, and innovation.
For Cheri Ambrose, the mission continues. “It’s not enough for Pennsylvania to get it right,” she said. “We need every state. Every country. Every hospital. And we’re going to get there — one story, one patient, and one law at a time.”
Diagnostic Crusade: Innovation Against Invisibility
Dr. Robert Bard’s commitment to combating male breast cancer extends beyond the clinic and into the annals of medical technology itself. As one of the early U.S. adopters of diagnostic ultrasound for breast cancer and a vocal critic of one-size-fits-all screening models, Bard has spent decades exploring better, less invasive ways to detect tumors in men and women alike.
“In the 1980s, I was reading about blood flow imaging on breast cancer being done in London while nobody was doing it here,” Bard recalled. “So, I flew to Hammersmith Hospital and learned it myself.” That spirit of curiosity and defiance has fueled Bard’s career as both a physician and patient advocate.
He subsequently traveled to Denmark and France to study early laser and thermal imaging systems, technologies now embraced for detecting not only breast cancer but also thyroid, prostate, and skin cancers. “Medicine evolves when we stop assuming that yesterday’s rules serve today’s patients,” Bard said. “The world has a lot to offer if you’re willing to look.”
Today, Bard’s diagnostic practice champions the use of thermal imaging, ultrasound elastography, and Doppler vascular mapping for male breast cancer detection. These methods measure tissue stiffness and abnormal heat patterns associated with tumors — offering a painless, radiation-free alternative to traditional mammography. “Thermal imaging lets you see a tumor light up like a light bulb,” Bard explained. “No compression, no radiation, no invasive biopsy to confirm what advanced imaging can already show you.”
Confronting the Stigma
Male breast cancer continues to carry a dangerous stigma — often dismissed as a "women’s disease," leaving countless men undiagnosed until the disease has progressed. This bias, coupled with a broader societal disregard for routine screenings beyond colonoscopies in men, contributes to higher morbidity rates and poorer outcomes.
Understanding the Facts
While male breast cancer accounts for approximately 1% of all breast cancer cases, studies reveal a doubled incidence — up to 2% — among first responders and individuals exposed to environmental toxins. The anatomic structure of male breast tissue presents unique challenges: with glandular tissue positioned close to the chest wall, the risk of early metastasis is heightened, and conventional mammography proves less effective due to imaging limitations.
Moreover, age-related gynecomastia often complicates diagnostic accuracy, underscoring the need for advanced imaging to distinguish benign tissue from malignancy.
The Evolution of Imaging for Male Breast Cancer
Traditional mammography can reveal suspicious lesions, but it falls short in characterizing the complex and often heterogeneous nature of contemporary cancer pathology. Modern tumors may present with a mix of tumor necrosis, fibrosis, immune cell infiltration, and benign tissue — subtleties that are difficult to assess through mammography alone.
To enhance diagnostic precision and surgical planning, clinicians are increasingly integrating advanced imaging modalities following baseline ultrasound, CT, and MRI studies. These physiologic assessments, performed in real-time, help bridge the gaps between genetic testing results and conventional histologic analysis, offering a more comprehensive picture of tumor behavior.
Unlike preserved tissue samples evaluated in pathology labs, these dynamic studies capture live biological processes, providing critical insights into tumor activity, vascularity, and immune response — factors pivotal for personalized, targeted treatment strategies.
A Call for Awareness and Innovation
Breaking down the stigma surrounding male breast cancer is vital for early detection and improved survival. Equally important is the adoption of modern imaging technologies that move beyond static anatomical imaging, offering functional, real-time assessments tailored to the unique challenges of male breast anatomy and cancer presentation. The future of male breast cancer care lies not just in awareness but in a willingness to embrace innovation — ensuring that no patient is overlooked because of outdated assumptions.
For more information on the specialized work of Dr. Bard or his early detection and monitoring programs for MALE BREAST CANCER, visit: www.barddiagnostics.com or www.thecancerdetective.org
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