[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 22, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 DEVICE FOR SELF-EXAMINATION OF BREASTS

  (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, if I asked the Members of the House 
what this simple device is, I doubt that very many of my colleagues 
could tell me what it is. It is actually a breast sensor pad which is 
designed to be used by women to self-examine their breasts to see if 
they have breast cancer lumps.
  Mr. Speaker, it took the FDA 10 years to approve this simple device 
for limited use under a doctor's prescription for women to self-examine 
their breasts. The gentlewoman from Nevada [Mrs. Vucanovich] and myself 
are introducing today a bill that would make this device, which 
literally could save thousands of lives each year, available over the 
counter so that millions of American women can go into their drugstore 
and purchase this and in the privacy of their home self-examine their 
breasts to see if they have cancer lumps. We desperately need to get 
this device available.
  Nancy Brinker, whose sister, Susan B. Komen, died of breast cancer, 
and who has established a breast cancer research center in her sister's 
name, has told me that this simple device is very, very useful and 
should be available to every American woman who wishes to purchase it. 
Please join Congressman Vucanovich and myself in sponsoring this bill.

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