[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 208 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 208

    Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to mammography 
       screening to detect breast cancer in women ages 40 to 49.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                  May 3 (legislative day, May 2), 1994

Mr. Cohen (for himself, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Grassley, Mr. 
  Stevens, Mr. Bradley, Mr. Brown, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Ford, Mr. Burns, 
    Mrs. Murray, Mr. Specter, Mr. Reid, Mr. Mack, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. 
  Kassebaum, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted the following resolution; 
    which was referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to mammography 
       screening to detect breast cancer in women ages 40 to 49.

Whereas breast cancer is a substantial health problem in the United States, and 
        the leading cause of death in women between the ages 15 to 54;
Whereas breast cancer is the most common form of cancer for women in the United 
        States, and the second leading cause of cancer death among all women;
Whereas it is estimated that in 1994 alone, over 182,000 new cases of breast 
        cancer will be diagnosed and over 46,000 women will die as a result of 
        breast cancer;
Whereas in 1992, 40,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in women under the 
        age of 50, of which 28,900 cases were diagnosed in women between the 
        ages of 40 and 49;
Whereas the risk of breast cancer increases significantly after the age of 40;
Whereas mammography is recognized as a valuable diagnostic technique for 
        screening women for breast cancer and has been proven to reduce 
        mortality for women over the age of 50 with breast cancer;
Whereas the National Cancer Institute is the lead Federal agency for research on 
        the causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and whose 
        statements are relied upon by health professionals and patients for 
        critical health care decisions;
Whereas the National Cancer Institute in 1987 developed guidelines recommending 
        that breast cancer screening begin by age 40 and consist of annual 
        clinical examination with mammography screening performed at 1- or 2- 
        year intervals to age 49;
Whereas, on December 3, 1993, the National Cancer Institute released a statement 
        on breast cancer screening for women over the age of 50 that states that 
        ``there is a general consensus among experts that routine screening 
        every 1 to 2 years with mammography and clinical breast examination can 
        reduce breast cancer mortality by about one-third for women ages 50 and 
        over'';
Whereas such statement departed from the earlier recommendations of the National 
        Cancer Institute on mammography screening for women ages 40 to 49 by 
        stating that ``experts do not agree on the role of routine screening 
        mammography for women ages 40 to 49'' and that ``to date randomized 
        clinical trials have not shown a statistically significant reduction in 
        mortality for women under the age of 50''; and
Whereas significant disagreement among experts in the field of oncology over the 
        interpretation and accuracy of recent clinical studies on the value of 
        mammography for women under age 50 and the recent statement by the 
        National Cancer Institute on mammography for women ages 40 to 49 has 
        sent both confusing and conflicting messages to women at risk of breast 
        cancer: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) it is good public health care policy that appropriate 
        mammography screening be available and accessible for women 
        between the ages of 40 and 49;
            (2) in light of the scientific disagreement regarding the 
        value of mammography screening for women between the ages of 40 
        and 49, it is critically important that women and their doctors 
        decide what is the best course of care for the early detection 
        of breast cancer, including mammography screening;
            (3) health plans be established in such a manner to ensure 
        that all women, including women ages 40 to 49, receive coverage 
        for mammography screening that is appropriate for the early 
        detection of breast cancer;
            (4) comprehensive health care reform include adequate 
        protection of all women, including women ages 40 to 49, to 
        ensure that all women have access to coverage for mammography 
        screening where it is appropriate for the early detection of 
        breast cancer;
            (5) the National Cancer Institute supports additional 
        research, which may include randomized clinical trials, for 
        mammography screening for women ages 40 to 49 to determine the 
        effectiveness and benefits of mammography screening for 
        reducing breast cancer mortality in women under the age of 50;
            (6) the National Cancer Institute increase research to 
        improve imaging techniques such as mammography, and to develop 
        new types of early detection such as digital mammography, and 
        other technologies that will improve early detection of breast 
        cancer in all women, especially for women ages 40 to 49; and
            (7) the Public Health Service, in conjunction with national 
        and international centers, consumer groups, and appropriate 
        medical and professional organizations, should immediately 
        reach a consensus on the studies that should be undertaken to 
        provide information to determine the effectiveness and benefits 
        of mammography screening and other emerging technologies for 
        women ages 40 to 49.

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