Every year, Pennsylvania women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a higher rate than the national average. Amongst the various types of Breast Cancer, Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) presents as a particularly dangerous variant due to its rapid and aggressive progression, as well as its ability to mimic a common breast infection known as mastitis.
 
While IBC represents up to five percent of all breast cancer diagnoses, the disease has a particularly low survival rate. Due to its frequent misdiagnoses, appropriate care is often delayed, allowing the cancer to continue to spread from stage III to stage IV in the mere time it takes to complete a course of antibiotics. As a result, survival rates can be up to 30 percent less with IBC than other types of breast cancer.  
 
Being able to identify IBC in the medical community is vital for early detection, appropriate treatment and saving lives. That is why we are introducing Marnie’s Law, legislation that would require an improvement in medical provider education to increase awareness of IBC so that the disease can be caught before it becomes fatal. This legislation is inspired by Marnie Schulenburg, a DeSales University alumnus and Daytime Emmy nominated actress who sadly passed away from IBC after being misdiagnosed with mastitis only months after her daughter was born.
 
As we work towards a future where all receive adequate health care, it is important that we ensure these cancer patients are not left behind. Please join us in advancing patient care and cancer treatment in Pennsylvania.