[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 12 (Tuesday, February 4, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 47--RELATIVE TO ACCURATE GUIDELINES FOR BREAST CANCER 
                               SCREENING

  Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Hutchison, Mrs. Feinstein, 
Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Moseley-Braun, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Collins, 
Mr. Levin, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Cleland, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. 
Hollings, Mr. Ford, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. Reed, Mr. 
Reid, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Wellstone, Mr. Graham, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Kerry, 
Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Lautenberg, 
Mr. Wyden, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Biden, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, 
Mr. Conrad, Mr. Bumpers, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Faircloth, Mr. Robb, Mr. 
Specter, Mr. D'Amato, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Coats, Mr. 
Coverdell, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. Warner, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Thomas, and 
Mr. Bond) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                               S. Res. 47

       Whereas the National Cancer Institute is the lead Federal 
     agency for research on the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and 
     treatment of cancer;
       Whereas health professionals and consumers throughout the 
     United States regard the guidelines of the National Cancer 
     Institute as reliable scientific and medical advice;
       Whereas it has been proven that intervention through 
     routine screening for breast cancer through mammography can 
     save the lives of women at a time when medical science is 
     unable to prevent this disease;
       Whereas the National Cancer Institute issued a guideline in 
     1989 recommending that women in their forties seek 
     mammograms, but rescinded this guideline in 1993;
       Whereas in 1993, it was difficult to have the same degree 
     of scientific confidence about the benefit of mammography for 
     women between the ages of 40 and 49 as existed for women 
     between the ages of 50 and 69 due to inherent limitations in 
     the studies that were conducted as of that date;
       Whereas at that time, the American Cancer Society and 21 
     other national medical organizations and health and consumer 
     groups were at variance with the decision of the National 
     Cancer Institute to rescind the guidelines of the Institute 
     for mammography for women between the ages of 40 and 49;
       Whereas the statement of scientific fact on breast cancer 
     screening issued by the National Cancer Institute on December 
     3, 1993, caused widespread confusion and concern among women 
     and physicians, eroded confidence in mammography, and 
     reinforced barriers and negative attitudes that keep women of 
     all ages from being screened;
       Whereas in 1995, investigators found a 24 percent lower 
     death rate among women who received mammograms in their 
     forties when the world's population-based trials were 
     combined;
       Whereas in 1996, Swedish researchers in 2 studies found a 
     44 and 36 percent lower death rate among women who received 
     mammograms in their forties;
       Whereas a number of studies have shown that breast tumors 
     in women under the age of 50 may grow far more rapidly than 
     in older women, suggesting, that annual mammograms are of 
     value to women in this age group;
       Whereas on January 23, 1997, a panel convened by the 
     National Institutes of Health reviewed these and other 
     compelling studies but decided not to recommend that the 
     National Cancer Institute reissue its earlier guidelines;
       Whereas the Director of the National Cancer Institute and 
     other major national organizations, including the American 
     Cancer Society, expressed surprise and disappointment with 
     this decision;
       Whereas the majority (approximately 80 percent) of women 
     who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no identifiable 
     risk for this disease;
       Whereas breast cancer is the single leading cause of death 
     for women in their forties and fifties, and a leading cause 
     of death for women between the ages of 30 and 60; and
       Whereas more women will be diagnosed with breast cancer 
     this year in their forties (over 33,000 women) than in their 
     fifties: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) adequately designed and conducted studies are needed to 
     further determine the benefits of screening women between the 
     ages of 40 and 49 through mammography and other emerging 
     technologies; and
       (2)(A) the Senate strongly urges the Advisory Panel for the 
     National Cancer Institute to consider reissuing the guideline 
     rescinded in 1993 for mammography for women between the ages 
     of 40 and 49 when it convenes in February; or
       (B) until there is more definitive data, direct the public 
     to consider guidelines issued by other organizations.

                          ____________________