[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 64 (Thursday, April 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4339-H4340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF PROSTATE CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT ACT OF 1995

  (Mr. FIELDS of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker,
   today I am introducing the Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment 
Act of 1995 in the hopes that we will finally do something to 
effectively battle prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the 
deadliest forms of cancer for men--and yet, as men, we seem almost 
afraid to talk about it. More than 215,000 American men will be 
diagnosed with prostate cancer this year and more than 40,000 men will 
die from it. It is the most common form of cancer among men and the 
second leading cancer killer.

  If you look around this Chamber--about every third male over age 50 
probably already has prostate cancer in some form and does not know it; 
roughly one-quarter of those who are stricken, will get a life-
threatening form of the disease. Most people find out about their 
prostate cancer too late, even though the cancer can be detected with a 
simple, inexpensive blood test--the P.S.A. test. This test is the most 
effective cancer screening marker there is; it can spot prostate cancer 
accurately 5 years or more before it presents a serious health problem. 
The American Cancer Society and several other groups recommend that 
everyone over age 50 get this test once a year, and General 
Schwarzkopf, a man who has undergone prostate surgery, said the test 
saved his life. Nevertheless, Medicare and veterans' health programs do 
not pay for this, so most of the 13 million Medicare men and a few 
million older veterans are not getting the care they need for early 
detection. My bill would fix that hole.
  Finally, the budget for prostate cancer research is a pittance 
compared to what we are spending on other cancer research. Studies 
needed to identify the most effective treatment are either not being 
done, or will not be completed for several years. My bill would 
[[Page H4340]] increase the research effort by diverting more research 
dollars to prostate cancer.
  We must end the public embarrassment about a disease that has already 
taken the lives of several of our colleagues and that will affect many 
more of us in the future. We need to make men more aware of what this 
disease can do and what they must do to protect themselves. I believe 
my bill can help point us in the right direction, and I urge my 
colleagues to cosponsor this legislation.


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