TSA pat-down makes breast cancer survivor show prosthetic breast

Breast cancer survivor Cathy Bossi says she was forced to show her prosthetic breast during a pat-down at an airport in North Carolina.

Bossi, who works for U.S. Airways, said she received the pat-down after declining to do the full-body scan because of radiation concerns. As a 3-year breast cancer survivor Bossi said she did not want the added radiation through her body, however reluctantly agreed.

Referring to the The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security officer, Ms Bossi said: ‘She put her full hand on my breast and said, ‘What is this?’. And I said, ‘It’s my prosthesis because I’ve had breast cancer.’ And she said, ‘Well, you’ll need to show me that’.’

Airport security personnel in the U.S. are randomly choosing passengers and airline crew members to pass through new scanners being deployed at airports as part of stepped-up security measures.

The TSA says the new steps are required to help ensure that flying is safe. TSA has been under fire latterly over their security procedures. The agency maintains it won’t change protocol even though many have complained the pat downs are invasion of privacy and allegations TSA agents have taken the pat-downs too far.

At a Congressional hearing on the problems surrounding the new methods this week, TSA administrator John Pistole stated that the new steps were important, so as to keep a check on latest attack methods employed by terrorists.

Bossi has since contacted the Legislative Affairs Team provided through her flight attendant union because she wants to see a crackdown on personal pat-downs and make sure this never happens to another breast cancer survivor.