ASSEMBLY REGULATED PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 3435

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: OCTOBER 5, 2026

      The Assembly Regulated Professions Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 3435.

       The bill requires that every professional nursing curriculum include education on inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).  IBC is a rare form of breast cancer, with symptoms and treatment different than more common breast cancers.  IBC's symptoms include breast inflammation caused by cancer cells blocking lymph vessels in the skin, pitting and thickening of the skin, and localized pain and itch. 

      IBC often does not cause a breast lump and might not show up on a mammogram, which makes it harder to diagnose.  It tends to occur in women under the age of 40, develop more frequently in Black women, appear in overweight women, and grow and spread more quickly than more common types of breast cancer.

      As with any form of cancer, early diagnosis and treatment provide the best opportunities for successful outcomes.  Expanding nursing curriculum to include education on IBC will improve the probability of early detection and allow for early stage treatment options that will improve survival rates. 

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2026-2027 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.