[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 115 (Thursday, September 3, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9941-S9942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 271--DESIGNATING OCTOBER 16, 1998, AS ``NATIONAL 
                           MAMMOGRAPHY DAY''

  Mr. BIDEN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 271

         
       Whereas according to the American Cancer Society, in 1998, 
     178,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,500 
     women will die from this disease;
       Whereas in the decade of the 1990's, it is estimated that 
     about 2,000,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, 
     resulting in nearly 500,000 deaths;
       Whereas the risk of breast cancer increases with age, with 
     a woman at age 70 having twice as much of a chance of 
     developing the disease as a woman at age 50;
       Whereas at least 80 percent of the women who get breast 
     cancer have no family history of the disease;
       Whereas mammograms, when operated professionally at a 
     certified facility, can provide a safe and quick diagnosis;
       Whereas experts agree that mammography is the best method 
     of early detection of breast cancer, and early detection is 
     the key to saving lives;
       Whereas mammograms can reveal the presence of small cancers 
     up to 2 years or more before a regular clinical breast 
     examination or breast self-examination (BSE), reducing 
     mortality by more than 30 percent; and
       Whereas 47 States and the District of Columbia have passed 
     legislation requiring health insurance companies to cover 
     mammograms in accordance with recognized screening 
     guidelines: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates October 16, 1998, as ``National Mammography 
     Day''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling upon the people of the United States to observe such 
     day with appropriate programs and activities.

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution to 
designate October 16, 1998 as ``National Mammography Day.'' Since 1993, 
I have introduced similar measures, and each year the Senate has gone 
on record in support of the value of mammography by approving this 
resolution.
  The American Cancer Society estimates that 178,700 women will be 
diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, while 43,500 women will 
eventually succumb to the disease this year. However, despite these 
horrifying numbers, the cure for breast cancer continues to allude us.
  Experts therefore agree that early detection and treatment are a 
woman's best defenses in the fight against this killer. Mammograms can 
reveal the

[[Page S9942]]

presence of small cancers up to 2 years before regular clinical breast 
examinations or breast self-examinations [BSE], reducing mortality by 
more than 30 percent.
  Mr. President, the resolution I am submitting sets aside one day in 
the midst of ``National Breast Cancer Awareness Month'' to encourage 
women to receive or sign up for a mammogram. In doing so, we can 
educate our nation's mothers, sisters, and friends on the importance of 
early detection through mammography and prevent more women from dying 
from this disease. I sincerely hope my colleagues will join me in 
recognizing mammograms as a key element in the fight against breast 
cancer.

                          ____________________