[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 16, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7890]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           MAMMOGRAPHY QUALITY STANDARDS REAUTHORIZATION ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to address an 
important topic, that is that we want to make sure that we eliminate 
breast cancer in our lifetime.
  Mr. Speaker, studies predict that one in nine women will develop 
breast cancer in the course of their lifetime. Breast cancer is the 
second leading cause of cancer deaths among American women. Last year, 
approximately 44,000 women died from it.
  Mr. Speaker, the best hope women have to detect breast cancer and 
ultimately survive is a screening mammography, an X-ray procedure that 
can detect small tumors and breast abnormalities up to 2 years before 
they can be detected by other means. Congress wisely enacted the 1992 
law to promote the use of mammograms.
  Over 90 percent of the cases of breast cancer in these early stages 
can be cured. The original bill required that mammography facilities 
use only radiological technologies and equipment designed for 
mammography; use only qualified physicians able to interpret mammogram 
results; establish quality assurance and control programs to assure the 
reliability, clarity, and accurate interpretation of mammograms; to 
undergo inspections by qualified inspectors on an annual basis; and be 
subject to accreditation by a Health and Human Services-approved 
organization.
  Mr. Speaker, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 
reports that among women aged 50 and older, the proportion receiving 
mammograms in the past year has increased from 26 percent to 57 
percent. Among women aged 40 to 49, the increase over the past 2 years 
was from 59 percent in 1990 to 66 percent in 1995.
  So I commend the House this week for approving legislation that I 
support, which is the Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization 
Act, which establishes national uniform standards for mammography and 
adds the following key provisions this year:
  It clarifies the responsibility of the mammography facility to retain 
mammogram records for at least 5 years, or at least 10 years if the 
facility performs no subsequent mammograms, in order for women to 
obtain their original mammogram; it establishes that both State and 
local government agencies have inspection authority; and, it ensures 
that patients and referring physicians will be advised of any mammogram 
facility deficiencies; and, requires that direct patient notification 
be written in layman's terms.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, we can cure breast cancer in our 
lifetime, but we must encourage our grandmothers, our mothers, our 
wives, our sisters and daughters to get annual mammograms and continue 
our work to double the NIH budget, the National Institutes of Health, 
so we can have the research, the education, and the testing so that we 
can cure breast cancer in our lifetime.

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