[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 26, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING L. DOUGLAS WILDER FOR CONVENING THE WILDER SYMPOSIUM ON 
 ``RACE AND HEALTH CARE AS WE APPROACH THE 21ST CENTURY'' AT VIRGINIA 
                        COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. NORMAN SISISKY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 26, 1997

  Mr. SISISKY. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my good friend and former 
colleague in the Virginia General Assembly, former Virginia Governor L. 
Douglas Wilder, for convening a very important symposium entitled 
``Race and Health Care as We Approach the 21st Century'' at Virginia 
Commonwealth University, my alma mater. This symposium, which was held 
on January 28 and 29, 1997, is 1 of a 3-part symposia on ``Race and 
American Society.'' The symposium brought together experts from the 
fields of medicine, academia, and public policy to explore two of the 
most far reaching and significant issues Americans face today--health 
care and race.
  One of the health issues explored at the Wilder Symposium--colorectal 
cancer screening--has a special importance for me. As a colon cancer 
survivor, I have been working to enact colorectal cancer screening 
legislation. Preventive screening is an important issue for all 
Americans, and particularly African Americans, who suffer 
disproportionately from this deadly disease.
  Every year over 150,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer 
and over 55,000 people die from the disease each year. Colorectal 
cancer is the second leading killer of all forms of cancer, primarily 
striking individuals over the age of 50. Surprisingly, however, only a 
small percentage of this population has ever been screened for this 
disease.
  Screening is the key to early detection of colorectal cancer. Perhaps 
more than any other cancer disease, early detection of colorectal 
cancer has an immediate and dramatic impact on survival rates and 
improvements in the quality of life of individuals diagnosed with the 
disease. Medical studies have shown that if colorectal cancer is caught 
in its earliest stage rather than in later stages, the 5-year survival 
rates of patients double from 40 percent to 80 percent or greater.
  Last congress, I cosponsored the Colorectal Cancer Screening Act 
(H.R. 1046) which would provide Medicare coverage for colorectal cancer 
screening using all commonly available screening procedures. This 
legislation is the only legislation which covers barium enema 
procedures in addition to the three other commonly used screening 
procedures--the fecal occult blood test (FOBT), flexible sigmoidoscopy, 
and colonoscopy. By offering the full range of procedures, the 
Colorectal Cancer Screening Act (H.R. 1046) allows patients and 
doctors, rather than the Federal Government, to decide which screening 
procedure is most appropriate.
  In addition to offering choice to patients and doctors, the screening 
approach adopted in the Colorectal Cancer Screening Act is very 
important for the African American population. In his Symposium on 
health care and race, Governor Wilder examined this crucial issue in 
discussing the public policy challenges facing the African-American 
community.

  The attendees at the symposium discussed medical studies which found 
that colorectal cancer strikes African-Americans in ways different from 
the general population, and that African-Americans who get colorectal 
cancer have a 50-percent greater chance of dying from the disease than 
the general population. These studies conclude that certain screening 
procedures, such as FOBT and flexible sigmoidoscopy, are inadequate 
colorectal cancer screening procedures for African-Americans. These 
same studies suggest that the barium enema, which, unlike FOBT or 
flexible sigmoidoscopy, can view the entire colon, is clearly preferred 
for the African-American population, and perhaps for other populations 
as well. As the only CRC screening legislation that provides Medicare 
coverage for the barium enema, the Colorectal Cancer Screening Act 
(H.R. 1046) is the only legislation adequate for the African-American 
population. New legislation will soon be introduced in the 105th 
Congress incorporating the important provisions of that act.
  In closing, I want to praise Governor Wilder for being a leader in 
bringing attention to the issue of colorectal cancer screening and how 
it can improve the health and save the lives of literally thousands of 
African-Americans. Indeed, it is a very important issue for all 
Americans, particularly as Congress considers Medicare reform this 
year. With this in mind, I believe it is imperative that Congress pass 
CRC screening legislation which provides Medicare coverage for all 
screening procedures, and I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in 
this worthwhile endeavor.

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