[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 EDUCATING AMERICA ON COLORECTAL CANCER

  (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, today I filed a resolution with 20 of my 
cosponsors, a bipartisan resolution, connected with colorectal cancer. 
We have spent a lot of time in the House talking about breast cancer 
and other forms of cancer and how important it is to be screened, but 
we have neglected colorectal cancer.
  Mr. Speaker, in my State of New York, we are ninth in the number of 
fatalities. We have 55,000 people that die each year from an absolutely 
curable or preventable disease.
  We think it is terribly important. We have asked Secretary Shalala of 
HHS if they will help formulate an educational process for both medical 
professionals and their patients to make sure Americans are screened 
for this disease. It is terribly important for women, because women 
have a feeling that this is a man's disease, but it is an equal-
opportunity killer. We have some Members of this House who are 
recovering from colorectal cancer who are sponsoring this bill, and I 
invite all my colleagues to join us in what I think is one of the most 
important health issues facing America. This disease is over 92 percent 
preventable. No one need die from colorectal cancer. It is up to us to 
educate.

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