[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 40 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3009-S3010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS' DAY

 Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to highlight to 
the Senate and to the American people the importance of this day--
National Breast Cancer Survivors' Day--a day commemorating breast 
cancer awareness and the celebration of life.
  Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women of all ages. 
There is scarcely an American family that in some way has not been 
touched by this disease. In fact, it is estimated that over 180,000 
women and men are diagnosed with breast cancer and over 43,000 die from 
the disease each year. Women have a 12 percent lifetime risk for 
developing breast cancer, and one in 25 women will develop the disease 
by age 60. While these statistics are grim, today we pause to focus our 
attention on the hundreds of thousands of success stories--individuals 
who have survived and even prospered despite breast cancer.
  I salute every brave woman and man who has battled and beaten this 
disease. Only someone who has had cancer can really know what it is 
like--the fear, the doubt, and the often painful and debilitating 
treatments and medical procedures. But beat it they have. And to those 
who are still in the fight, I say: ``Hang in there. You can do it, and 
the chances are ever greater that you will do it.''
  When detected early and when confined to the breast, the five-year 
survival rate for this disease is over 95 percent. Mr. President, this 
is a remarkable statistic, and represents a dramatically improved 
picture than that of even a few years ago. It is also important to note 
that, for the first time in years, the mortality rate for both 
Caucasian and African-American women is also declining. With continued 
advancements in early detection and treatment procedures, and with the 
growing hope that a cure might be found in a matter of years, not 
decades, women today certainly do have cause to celebrate.
  But our work is far from done. I and many of my Senate and House 
colleagues are doing all we can to ensure that adequate federal 
resources are being allocated to research, education, and treatment of 
breast cancer. Through research grants and direct research conducted at 
the National Institutes of Health, promising leads and even occasional 
breakthroughs are being pursued with vigor by the best and brightest of 
the medical and scientific worlds. We can of course do more, and I am 
joining many of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee in 
supporting a significant increase in the fiscal year 1999 budget for 
the NIH so that this important work can move forward. Put simply, we 
will not rest until a cure is found.
  But until a cure is found, let me say to every woman in America that 
you are your own best ally in the fight against breast cancer. Self-
exams and

[[Page S3010]]

regular breast cancer screenings for high risk women and women over 40 
is absolutely crucial. I was pleased that last year the National 
Institutes of Health joined me and others in recognizing the importance 
of annual screening of women over 40, and the availability and 
affordability of mammography and other promising detection techniques 
continues to increase.
  So today, I join my colleagues and all Americans in celebrating those 
who have won the battle against breast cancer. We salute and celebrate 
their courage, optimism, and often selfless commitment to help those 
newly diagnosed to overcome the challenges that lay ahead. Mr. 
President, these individuals are not just survivors, they are beacons 
of inspiration and hope for all of us. With the heart and spirit of 
these survivors leading our way, I know that we will eventually win and 
conquer this disease. That will be the best Survivors' Day of all

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