[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 157 (Sunday, November 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS BILL

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, the Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education appropriations bill that the Senate passed 
yesterday provides the National Institutes of Health and other 
Government health initiatives with funding needed to continue their 
work on diseases that afflict so many millions of Americans. I am glad 
to see that this budget will continue to place a priority on health 
research and, in particular on women's health. Although we have seen 
many advances in women's health over the past several years, much more 
progress needs to be made especially on such intractable problems as 
breast cancer.
  The key to successful breast cancer treatment is early detection. 
Mammography has been and will continue to be a key diagnostic tool in 
early detection for women in the high-risk category for breast cancer. 
Digital mammography is the next generation technology in mammography 
imaging for cancer, and it offers a number of advantages over the 
current film technology, including: improved image quality and 
diagnosis; improved lesion visualization; lower overall cost of image 
storage and retrieval; and increased use of telemammography as a means 
to facilitate expert consultations.
  There is a second generation digital mammography technology on the 
drawing boards that offers the prospect not only of improving the 
ability of radiologists to identify lesions in the breast, but also of 
significantly reducing the cost of digital mammography. One such 
approach, a Metal-Halide technology, holds out the promise of meeting 
these goals. This technology has the potential to result in an imager 
that could be used to replace the film imagers in existing mammography 
machines--rather than needing to replace the entire mammography 
machine.
  There are significant technical hurdles that must be overcome before 
a product of the necessary quality of resolution for mammography can be 
introduced. The research and development risk may be too great for 
private sector companies to move forward, thus making it ideal for a 
Government-industry partnership.
  I urge the administration to consider addressing this issue in its 
fiscal year 1999 budget by creating a program that would focus on key 
technologies that could improve women's health. This new program could 
place particular emphasis on technologies that will make a significant 
difference for women, have a high likelihood of near-term commercial 
development, and are likely to see widespread and rapid diffusion 
throughout the medical community.
  Mr. President, the war on breast cancer and many other diseases has 
not been won. In the private and public sectors, we must be creative in 
looking for new approaches to address and overcome these challenges. It 
does little good if we make a breakthrough in the lab or corporate 
research facility, if we can't bring that breakthrough to market in 
such a way that the maximum number of people benefit. I hope the 
administration will give careful consideration to these kinds of new 
and innovative ideas in crafting its budget for the upcoming fiscal 
year.

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