[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        NATIONAL MAMMOGRAPHY DAY

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 220) to 
designate October 19, 1994, as National Mammography Day, and ask for 
its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate joint resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to 
the gentlewoman from Tennessee [Mrs. Lloyd].
  Mrs. LLOYD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the consideration of Senate Joint 
Resolution 220, legislation that designates October 19, 1994 as 
National Mammography Day. Last year the President signed this measure 
into law.
  While efforts to enact a comprehensive health care reform have fallen 
by the way side, there are still legislative initiatives, such as 
National Mammography Day, that address important steps toward reform. 
For example, early detection and treatment are critical steps in 
holding down medical costs and saving lives--particularly with breast 
cancer.
  Unfortunately, many women are unaware of medical technologies, such 
as mammography screening, available to them today. We must educate 
women about breast cancer and make the medical information readily 
available. Awareness is the primary purpose of National Mammography 
Day.
  According to the American Cancer Society, 182,000 women will be 
diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994, and 46,000 women will die from 
the disease. This disease affects 80 percent of women that have no 
prior family history of breast cancer. There is no known cure for 
breast cancer. Until we find a cure, early detection and treatment are 
the best chances that we have against its early stages.
  Mammograms can reveal the presence of small cancer up to 2 years 
before regular clinical breast examinations, or breast self-
examinations [BSE]--saving as many as a third more lives.
  No women can be considered immune from this disease. As a breast 
cancer survivor myself, I realize the importance of mammography 
detection. Greater awareness of this technology is a key element in 
combating breast cancer.
  Mr. Speaker, every year for the past 5 years, National Mammography 
Day has received greater participation and interest. Mammography 
screening awareness is one of many fundamental steps in educating the 
public about the importance of early detection and treatment of 
disease.
  I hope that my colleagues will join in supporting 1 day during 
``National Breast Cancer Awareness Month'' that educates and encourages 
women to receive a mammogram. Mammograms are not a panacea, but at this 
time mammography has proved to be an invaluable tool in the continuous 
fight against breast cancer. I look forward to the passage of this 
bill.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
want to thank the gentlewoman for her very appropriate comments and for 
the leadership she has taken with regard to inspiring women to have 
mammograms and the fact that this Congress is moving ahead with regard 
to breast cancer.
  I would like to also point out that as we talk about speeches on the 
last day and contributions through the years, that this will be the 
last evening for the gentlewoman from Tennessee, who has been a real 
star on the Committee on Science, Space and Technology as well as in 
this women's health area. I hope that we will join in a round of 
applause for the gentlewoman from Tennessee [Marilyn Lloyd].
  Mr. Speaker, with regard to this resolution, I just want to point out 
that with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, that we do have, 
because of legislation that we passed in 1990, the Breast and Cervical 
Cancer Mortality Prevention Act, we do have the ability for low-income 
and minority women to have mammography and pap smear screening. These 
are women who do not have health insurance and are not eligible for 
Medicaid, and they have kind of slipped through the cracks of the 
health care system. Forty-five States are now participating in the 
program.
  Another piece of legislation that I think this Congress can be proud 
of is the fact that we passed the Mammography Quality Standards Act. 
This was in 1992. Because of that law, as of October 1 of this year, 
all facilities must have a certificate to operate mammography equipment 
and be accredited by a body approved by the Secretary. I think that 
that is a real tribute to the good quality and accurate mammography 
equipment.
  Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to commend the gentlewoman 
from Tennessee [Mrs. Lloyd] for introducing this important measure. I 
join with the gentlewoman from Maryland in paying tribute to the 
gentlewoman from Tennessee [Mrs. Lloyd] for her outstanding dedication 
to her work here in the Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of House Joint 
Resolution 418 which designates October 19, 1994 as National 
Mammography Day. I would also like to commend the gentlewoman from 
Tennessee [Mrs. Lloyd] for introducing this important measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I continually find the statistics on breast cancer, and 
the mortality rate from breast cancer appalling. An estimated 180,000 
new cases of breast cancer among women were diagnosed in the United 
States during 1992. Approximately one of every nine women will develop 
breast cancer during her lifetime.
  Additionally breast cancer occurs rarely in men. Moreover, breast 
cancer incidence rates have increased about 3 percent a year since 
1980. Some of this increase is believed to be due to screening programs 
detecting tumors before they become clinically apparent.
  In spite of these shocking statistics many women do not practice 
routine breast examinations or utilize today's advanced mammography 
technology. I hope making October 19 National Mammography Day will 
reveal to all Americans the importance of utilizing today's technology 
in order to detect any abnormalities in the breast. Through prevention 
and early detection, one in every five deaths from breast cancer could 
be avoided.
  Educating the public on the warning signals of breast cancer is 
essential to combating this life-threatening disease. Breast changes 
that persist, such as a lump, thickening, swelling, dimpling, skin 
irritation, distortion, retraction, scaliness, pain, or tenderness of 
the nipple must be brought to the attention of a physician. Then, 
through the use of technology, like mammography, early detection and 
treatment can save the lives of many women.
  Statistics show that women with early stages of breast cancer, when 
the disease is still localized, experience a 92-percent survival rate, 
while the survival rate for women with more advanced regional cancer is 
only 71 percent. Even more tragic, is the fact that the survival rate 
for women with breast cancer which has advanced to more severe stages 
is only 18 percent.
  Surely this is a disease for which an ounce of prevention is worth a 
pound of cure. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month can help get this 
message out, and can actually save women's lives.
  Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of House Joint 
Resolution 418.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
thank the gentleman for his leadership in this area. It demonstrates 
that the men in this chamber care about the health of all our people.
  Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Tauzin].
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentlewoman for this 
fine work and all of the work that has gone forward in cancer 
awareness.
  I wanted to remind my colleagues that recently the cancer awareness 
luncheon was held here on the Hill over on the Senate side. The 
honorees this year for extraordinary work in breast cancer and prostate 
cancer awareness were CBS' own Harry Smith and Paula Zahn, who have 
done incredible work on their show in the morning to alert Americans to 
the need for cancer awareness and cancer information.
  To them, again, I want to offer this moment of salute for the great 
work they do and for all associated on the Hill with the National 
Cancer Awareness Program in the hope that we can make it an even 
stronger program and even more effective program for the millions of 
Americans, including my own mother who is a breast cancer survivor from 
1961 and who is kicking her heels today and enjoying the good life in 
Louisiana because of the great preventive medicine and cancer awareness 
and treatment that was accorded her. I would hope for every one the 
success of my mother in not only finding that dreaded disease early but 
in getting the same wonderful treatment she got and the great health 
that she currently enjoys today.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, 
that is a great personal testimony to the fact that all of us have 
mothers, sisters, aunts, children, daughters, who can benefit from this 
quality screening through the mammograms.
  Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton].

                              {time}  1910

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding time to me, and I congratulate those who are sponsoring this 
legislation for doing so. Nothing is more important than making sure 
women are aware of the dangers of cancer, and urging them to get 
mammograms to make sure that they minimize their chance of dying from 
this dread disease.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just say from personal experience in our family, 
mammograms are not enough. I think every women who is concerned about 
breast cancer should listen to what I am about to say, because in our 
family, mammograms were given every year to one of my family members 
for over 10 to 12 years, and they missed the cancer. They missed the 
cancer. In about 15 to 20 percent of the cases, mammograms do miss the 
cancer, so in addition to women getting mammograms, and I urge them to 
do so, self-examination is extremely important on a regular basis, 
because you may, unfortunately, be one of those 10 to 15 to 20 percent 
of the women that the mammograms simply miss the cancer. By the time it 
is found, you may be in a situation where you may not be able to 
survive.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just say congratulations on sponsoring this 
legislation, but any woman who is concerned about her health should, in 
addition to getting a mammogram, make sure that she has periodic 
checkups and examines herself on a regular basis. I thank the 
gentlewoman for yielding to me.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, indeed, that is very important, and I 
thank the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton] for pointing out self-
examination and all of the other information is also necessary, in 
addition to mammograms.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate joint resolution, as follows:

                             S.J. Res. 220

       Whereas, according to the American Cancer Society, 182,000 
     women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994, and 
     46,000 women will die from this disease;
       Whereas, in the decade of the 1990's, it is estimated that 
     about two million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, 
     resulting in nearly 500,000 deaths;
       Whereas the risk of breast cancer increases with age, with 
     50 percent of the breast cancer cases occurring in women over 
     age 65;
       Whereas 80 percent of women who get breast cancer have no 
     family history of the disease;
       Whereas mammograms, when operated professionally at an 
     accredited facility, can provide a safe and quick diagnosis;;
       Whereas experts agree that mammography is the best method 
     of early detection of breast cancer, and early detection is 
     the key to saving lives; and
       Whereas mammograms can reveal the presence of small cancers 
     up to two years before regular clinical breast examinations 
     or breast self-examinations (BSE), saving as many as a third 
     more lives; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That October 
     19, 1994, be designated as ``National Mammography Day,'' and 
     the President is authorized and requested to issue a 
     proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to 
     observe such day with appropriate programs and activities.

  The Senate joint resolution was ordered to be read a third time, was 
read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on 
the table.

                          ____________________