1.This Act may be cited as the
Breast Cancer and Environmental
Research Act of 2005
.
2.The Congress finds as follows:
(1)Breast cancer is the second leading cause
of cancer deaths among American women.
(2)More women in the United States are living
with breast cancer than any other cancer (excluding skin cancer). Approximately
3,000,000 women in the United States are living with breast cancer, about
2,000,000 of which have been diagnosed and an estimated 1,000,000 who do not
yet know that they have the disease.
(3)Breast cancer is the most commonly
diagnosed cancer among women in the United States and worldwide (excluding skin
cancer). In 2005, it is estimated that 269,730 new cases of breast cancer will
be diagnosed among women in the United States, 211,240 invasive breast cancers
and 58,490 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
(4)Approximately 40,410 women in the United
States will die from the disease in 2005. Breast cancer is the leading cause of
cancer death for women in the United States between the ages of 20 and 59, and
the leading cause of cancer death for women worldwide.
(5)A woman who lives into her 80s in the
United States has a 1 in 7 chance of developing invasive breast cancer in her
lifetime. This risk was 1 in 11 in 1975. In 2005, a new case of breast cancer
will be diagnosed every 2 minutes and a woman will die from breast cancer every
13 minutes.
(6)All women are at risk for breast cancer.
About 90 percent of women who develop breast cancer do not have a family
history of the disease.
(7)The National Action Plan on Breast Cancer,
a public private partnership, has recognized the importance of expanding the
scope and breadth of biomedical, epidemiological, and behavioral research
activities related to the etiology of breast cancer and the role of the
environment.
(8)To date, there has been only a limited
research investment to expand the scope or coordinate efforts across
disciplines or work with the community to study the role of the environment in
the development of breast cancer.
(9)In 2003, the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences awarded grants to four research centers to begin
to study the prenatal-to-adult environmental exposures that may predispose a
woman to breast cancer. The currently funded research is examining the mammary
tissue in animals and young girls and study the subjects’ life exposures to
environmental, nutritional, and social factors that impact menarche. Early
menarche, beginning menstruation before the age of 12, has been shown to
increase breast cancer risk later in life.
(10)The National Cancer Institute and the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have paired together to
make those four centers possible. The two institutes work well together,
combining their respective areas of expertise to the best advantage of the
research.
(11)In order to take full advantage of the
tremendous potential for avenues of prevention, the Federal investment in the
role of the environment and the development of breast cancer should be
expanded. The research conducted at the four centers, while critically
important, is one small facet of the many issues that must be addressed in
order to gauge the link between environmental factors and breast cancer.
(12)In order to understand the effect of
chemicals and radiation on the development of cancer, multi-generational,
prospective studies are probably required.
3.National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences; awards for development and operation of research
centers regarding environmental factors related to breast cancerSubpart 12 of part C of title IV of the
Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C.
285l et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following section:
463C.Research
centers regarding environmental factors related to breast cancer
(a)The Director of the
Institute, based on recommendations from the Breast Cancer and Environmental
Research Panel established under subsection (b) (referred to in this section as
the Panel
) shall make grants, after a process of peer review and
programmatic review, to public or nonprofit private entities for the
development and operation of not more than 8 centers for the purpose of
conducting multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental
factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Each such center
shall be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of
Excellence.
(b)Breast Cancer
and Environmental Research Panel
(1)The Secretary shall establish in the
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences a Breast Cancer and Environmental
Research Panel.
(2)The Panel shall be composed of—
(A)9 members to be appointed by the Secretary,
of which—
(i)six members shall be appointed from among
physicians, and other health professionals, who—
(I)are not officers or employees of the United
States;
(II)represent multiple disciplines, including
clinical, basic, and public health sciences;
(III)represent different geographical regions of
the United States;
(IV)are from practice settings or academia or
other research settings; and
(V)are experienced in biomedical review;
and
(ii)three members shall be appointed from the
general public who are representatives of individuals who have had breast
cancer and who represent a constituency; and
(B)such nonvoting, ex officio members as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(3)The members of the Panel appointed under
paragraph (2)(A) shall select a chairperson from among such members.
(4)The Panel shall meet at the call of the
chairperson or upon the request of the Director, but in no case less often than
once each year.
(5)The Panel shall—
(A)oversee the peer review process for the
awarding of grants under subsection (a) and conduct the programmatic review
under such subsection;
(B)make recommendations with respect to the
funding criteria and mechanisms under which amounts will be allocated under
this section; and
(C)make final programmatic recommendations
with respect to grants under this section.
(c)Collaboration
with communityEach center
under subsection (a) shall establish and maintain ongoing collaborations with
community organizations in the geographic area served by the center, including
those that represent women with breast cancer.
(d)Coordination of
centers; reportsThe Director
of the Institute shall, as appropriate, provide for the coordination of
information among centers under subsection (a) and ensure regular communication
between such centers, and may require the periodic preparation of reports on
the activities of the centers and the submission of the reports to the
Director.
(e)Each center under
subsection (a) shall be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions,
meeting such requirements as may be prescribed by the Director of the
Institute. Each center shall require collaboration among highly accomplished
scientists, other health professionals and advocates of diverse backgrounds
from various areas of expertise.
(f)Support of a center
under subsection (a) may be for a period not exceeding 5 years. Such period may
be extended for one or more additional periods not exceeding 5 years if the
operations of such center have been reviewed by an appropriate technical and
scientific peer review group established by the Director of the Institute and
if such group has recommended to the Director that such period should be
extended.
(g)Geographic
distribution of centersThe
Director of the Institute shall, to the extent practicable, provide for an
equitable geographical distribution of centers under this section.
(h)Each center under
subsection (a) shall use innovative approaches to study unexplored or
under-explored areas of the environment and breast cancer.
(i)Authorization of
appropriationsFor the
purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated
$30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2011. Such authorization
is in addition to any other authorization of appropriations that is available
for such
purpose.
.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Breast Cancer and Environmental
Research Act of 2006
.
2.National Institutes of
Health; awards for development and operation of research centers regarding
environmental factors related to breast cancerPart A of title IV of the
Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C.
281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
404H.Research centers
regarding environmental factors related to breast cancer
(a)The Secretary, acting
through the Director of NIH, based on recommendations from the Breast Cancer
and Environmental Research Panel established under subsection (b) (referred to
in this section as the Panel
), shall make grants to public or
nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of collaborative,
multi-institutional centers for the purpose of conducting multidisciplinary and
multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to
the etiology of breast cancer. Each such center shall be known as a Breast
Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence.
(b)Breast
Cancer and Environmental Research Panel
(1)The Secretary shall establish within the
National Institutes of Health a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research
Panel.
(2)The Panel shall be composed of—
(A)9 members to be appointed by the Secretary,
of which—
(i)six members shall be appointed from among
physicians and other health professionals, who—
(I)are not officers or employees of the United
States;
(II)represent multiple disciplines, including
clinical, basic, and public health sciences;
(III)represent different geographical regions of
the United States;
(IV)are from practice settings, academia, or
other research settings; and
(V)are experienced in peer review; and
(ii)three members shall be appointed from the
general public who are representatives of individuals who have had breast
cancer and who represent a constituency; and
(B)such nonvoting, ex officio members as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(3)The members of the Panel appointed under
paragraph (2)(A) shall select a chairperson from among such members.
(4)The Panel shall meet at the call of the
chairperson or upon the request of the Director of NIH, but in no case less
often than once each year.
(5)The Panel shall—
(A)develop a comprehensive strategy concerning
collaborative centers that would—
(i)result in innovative approaches to study
unexplored or underexplored areas of the environment and breast cancer;
(ii)outline
key research questions, methodologies, and knowledge gaps concerning
environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast
cancer;
(iii)outline
key issues concerning environmental factors that may be related to the etiology
of breast cancer; and
(iv)result
in an overall strategy to address environmental factors related to breast
cancer;
(B)make
recommendations to the Secretary with respect to the mechanisms, peer review
criteria, and allocations under this section;
(C)assist in
the overall program evaluation; and
(D)make
recommendations for the dissemination of information on program process.
(c)Collaboration with
communityEach center under
subsection (a) shall include community organizations in the geographic area
served by the center, including those that represent women with breast cancer,
as integral collaborators involved at all levels of the decision-making and
research in such center.
(d)Coordination of
centers; reportsThe Director
of NIH shall, as appropriate, provide for the coordination of information among
centers under subsection (a) and ensure regular communication between such
centers, and may require the periodic preparation of reports on the activities
of the centers and the submission of the reports to the Director.
(e)Each center under
subsection (a) shall be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions
and community groups, meeting such requirements as may be prescribed by the
Director of NIH. Each center shall require collaboration among highly
accomplished scientists, other health professionals and advocates of diverse
backgrounds from various areas of expertise.
(f)Support of a center
under subsection (a) may be for a period not exceeding 5 years. Such period may
be extended for one or more additional periods not exceeding 5 years if the
operations of such center have been reviewed by an appropriate technical and
scientific peer review group established by the Director of NIH and if such
group has recommended to the Director that such period be extended.
(g)Geographic distribution
of centersThe Director of
NIH shall, to the extent practicable, provide for an equitable geographical
distribution of centers under this section.
(h)Authorization of
appropriationsFor the
purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated
$30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2012. Such authorization
is in addition to any other authorization of appropriations that is available
for such
purpose.
.
July 24, 2006
Reported with an amendment