[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 8, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S10621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 179--DESIGNATING OCTOBER 15, 1999, AS ``NATIONAL 
                           MAMMOGRAPHY DAY''

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

                              S. Res. 179

       Whereas according to the American Cancer Society, in 1999, 
     175,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 
     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 years having twice as much of a chance of 
     developing the disease as a woman at age 50 years;
       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, reducing mortality by 
     more than 30 percent; and
       Whereas the 5-year survival rate for localized breast 
     cancer is currently 97 percent: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates October 15, 1999, 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, today I am submitting a resolution 
designating October 15, 1999, as ``National Mammography Day''. I have 
submitted a similar resolution each year since 1993, and on each 
occasion the Senate has shown its support for the fight against breast 
cancer by approving it.
  Each year, as I prepare to submit this resolution, I look at the 
latest information from the American Cancer Society about breast 
cancer. This year, the news is depressingly familiar: in 1999, an 
estimated 175,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and an 
estimated 43,300 women will die of this disease.
  In the midst of these gloomy numbers, however, one statistic stands 
out like a beacon of hope: the 5-year survival rate for women with 
localized breast cancer is a whopping 97%. Moreover, we already know 
one sure-fire method for detecting breast cancer when it is at this 
early, highly curable stage: periodic mammograms for all women over age 
40. Periodic mammography can detect a breast cancer almost 2 years 
earlier than it would have been detected by breast self-examination. 
The importance of periodic mammography for women's health is recognized 
by health plans and health insurers, and virtually all of them cover 
its cost. Low-income women who do not have health insurance can get 
free mammograms through a breast cancer screening program sponsored by 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  Given all this, that modern mammography is highly effective in 
discovering breast cancer at a very early stage, rarely causes any 
discomfort, and generally cost nothing, why aren't all women over 40 
getting this valuable test every year? One answer is that we are human, 
and we all forget things, especially as we get older. Even if we 
remember that we need a mammogram, we often have so many things going 
on in our lives that we just keep putting the mammogram off for that 
``less busy'' day that never comes. Consequently, we need a ``National 
Mammography Day'' to remind us that we need to make sure all the women 
in our lives don't overlook this crucial preventive service.
  How should we use ``National Mammography Day'' to achieve our goal of 
fighting breast cancer through early diagnosis? This year, National 
Mammography Day falls on Friday, October 15, right in the middle of 
National Breast Cancer Awareness month. On that day, let's make sure 
that each women we know picks a specific date on which to get a 
mammogram each year. I well understand how easy it is to forget do 
something that comes around only once per year, but for each of us 
there are certainly some dates that we don't forget: a child's 
birthday, an anniversary, perhaps even the day our taxes are due. On 
National Mammography Day, let's ask our loved ones: pick one of these 
dates, fix it in your mind along with a picture of your child, your 
wedding, or another symbol of that date, and promise yourself to get a 
mammogram on that date every year. Do it for yourself and for the 
others that love you and want you to be part of their lives for as long 
as possible.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to join me in the ongoing fight 
against breast cancer by cosponsoring this resolution to designate 
October 15, 1999, as National Mammography Day.

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