[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 24, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H7286-H7294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flake). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 3, 2001, the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs.
Capito) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority
leader.
General Leave
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on the subject of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from West Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this special order to talk
about a topic of great importance to all Americans, and in particular
it has become a great focus of the Women's Caucus here in the United
States Congress, and that is October being Breast Cancer Awareness
Month.
Breast cancer impacts all of us in America in some way. Whether it is
a family member, a friend, a neighbor, an acquaintance, someone who
goes to church with us, we have all been touched in one way or another
by breast cancer. So we are going to talk a lot tonight about breast
cancer and breast cancer awareness and cures for breast cancer.
As a member of the Women's Caucus of the House, I would like to yield
to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), who is the cochair of
the Women's Caucus.
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from
West Virginia (Mrs. Capito) as the Vice Chair of the women's conference
for leading this Special Order, along with my cochair of the women's
conference, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald). I
am delighted the two of you could do this tonight. It is so important
that we do this and recognize October as National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month.
For far too many Americans, no month of awareness is needed to remind
them of breast cancer. On a daily basis they and their families and
friends are well aware of the existence of this disease. Next to skin
cancer, more women in the United States, about 2 million, live with
breast cancer, more than with any other form of cancer. This year, some
233,000 women will be diagnosed and more than 43,000 will die of this
terrible disease.
I think it is fair to say that we are all well aware, some painfully
aware, of breast cancer. But as the American Cancer Society so
succinctly put it, our challenge is to turn awareness into action. Let
us turn October into breast cancer action month.
What does this mean? Well, first it means breast examinations. Thanks
to early detection techniques, breast cancer can be beaten and life can
be extended. That is why it is so important for women to have a
clinical breast examination at least once a year. Between the ages of
35 and 40, a woman should have at least one mammogram, and then one
every 1 to 2 years, until the age of 50. After age 50, women should get
a mammogram each year. That is action.
Second, in addition to early detection of breast cancer, we must
support research to find a cure for it. Many of our colleagues and I
did that when we strongly supported doubling the funding for the
National Institutes of Health as well as increasing the funding for the
Department of Defense's Peer Review Breast Cancer Research Program.
That is action.
[[Page H7287]]
Now, while scientists have made tremendous advances in the diagnosis
and treatment of this terrible disease, there still is much more to be
done. In recent years there has been much discussion over the link
between the environment and breast cancer, and I believe it imperative
for scientists to continue to examine this issue.
This body was good enough last year to grant my request to fund a
study to examine why the breast cancer mortality rates in my home
county of Du Page in Illinois are so much higher than in the rest of
the State and the country. We do not know whether it is environment,
socio-economic status or other demographics; but we are hopeful this
study will shed some light on it.
Mr. Speaker, whether it is through a family member or a friend,
everyone has been touched by this horrible disease. We are aware of
breast cancer. We must ensure our awareness turns to action. While we
do not know yet how to prevent breast cancer, we do know how to help
women detect it early and treat it more effectively once it is found.
The successes of recent years give me tremendous hope that we will
conquer breast cancer. We must all continue to work to achieve this
goal and ensure a healthier future for the many women and men who will
face breast cancer during their life times.
I am so happy we are doing this Special Order tonight to raise that
awareness and that we can take the action. So, again, I thank the
gentlewoman.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her
contributions, not only tonight in discussing an important issue,
breast cancer awareness and cures and action, but thank her also for
the efforts she has done on behalf of the women of the House and the
women of America in terms of shedding light on a lot of issues, health
and economic issues. I applaud her for all of her issues.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the cochair, the gentlewoman from California
(Ms. Millender-McDonald).
Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so much.
I join with my cochair, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert),
and all of the women of the House, in recognizing this month as Breast
Cancer Awareness Month, and to say to the women out in the audience and
across this country that we wish for you the very best in health, but
please get tested for this very important, important illness that is
before us.
You know, Mr. Speaker, as my cochair has mentioned, October is
recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month; and as the women
of the caucus come today in this hour to talk about its importance, we
also know the importance of funding; funding for education, funding for
early detection through research, funding for treatment and testing.
All of those are critical elements in the fight against breast cancer
now.
We do recognize that breast cancer is the most common form of cancer
in women in the United States and its cause and its cure remains
undiscovered. In 2001, 192,000 new cases of female invasive breast
cancer will be diagnosed, and 40,200 women will die from this disease.
We recognize also, Mr. Speaker, that breast cancer is the second
leading cause of cancer death among all women, after lung cancer being
number one. But it is the leading overall cause of death in women
between the ages of 40 and 55. This is why it is critical for women,
especially women from low-income families, to get tested and treated
for any trace of breast cancer.
In the United States, one out of nine women will develop breast
cancer in her lifetime, a risk that was one out of 14 in just 1960.
This year, breast cancer will be newly diagnosed every 3 minutes and
a woman will die from it every 13 minutes. Fundamentally, when breast
cancer is detected and treated early, the survival rates improve. We
have seen that, Mr. Speaker, in the death rates in women between 20 and
69 years of age, which declined by 25 percent in 1990. But, again,
early detection and treatment are really the areas to credit that
decline.
Early detection is the key to surviving breast cancer. Mammography is
the best method of breast cancer detection. Mammography can detect
cancer several years before a woman or her health care provider can
through the testing, to feel for a lump.
Throughout this month of October, many mammography facilities around
the country will offer reduced fee or free screening and extended
hours. We urge women from low-income families to check their health
facilities, because this month there will be many reduced fee and free
screenings for women. There will also be extended hours. So we urge
women to go and get this testing.
We also encourage women to protect their health and well-being by
taking advantage of the mammography services in their communities.
There are hundreds of community-based breast cancer resource programs
around this country. They provide information about breast cancer,
services to breast cancer patients and their families, and are
committed to raising money in the fight against breast cancer.
In my district of Compton, California, which I represent that city,
the Relay for Life program raises awareness, money for detection, and
celebrates survivorship. I am pleased with the women who are part of
that Relay for Life program. Twenty-three teams of local citizens
participated and raised over $20,000 for breast cancer research and
education just last year. This Relay for Life program in Compton stands
as an example of what we can accomplish if everyone joins in an effort
to collectively beat the odds.
As we well know, the sale of the breast cancer stamp has already
raised over $22 million in 3 years since its inception. I have teamed
with my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly), on H.R.
2725 to extend the stamp for an additional 6 years. With bipartisan
support from over 206 Members of the House, this bill will provide
funding for breast cancer research, incurs no cost to taxpayers or the
Government, has gathered bipartisan support by more than four-fifths of
the Senate representing all 50 States, and standing as the most
supported bill in this body since perhaps many a year. It stands among
the 28 most widely supported House bills of the 107th Congress. It
requires no new administrative procedures and allows for the creation
of additional postal stamps on any other issue.
I hope my colleagues will join the 206 Members who are trying to make
a difference with this legislation in trying to really find a victory
and hopefully finding a cure for breast cancer. This summer I even went
a step further and introduced H.R. 2317 that would have made this
breast cancer stamp permanent.
It is imperative, Mr. Speaker, that we support the efforts of
community-based organizations and women across this Nation to raise the
awareness and provide support to breast cancer patients and support
legislation that will increase Federal funds for research and lead to
improving the treatment for women so that this life-threatening
condition can be eliminated.
Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to raise your voices, open your
hearts, and strengthen your resolve to educate communities for the
fight for adequate funding, so that women can maintain their health and
vitality.
At this time I would like to thank the American Cancer Society and
the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation for their strong efforts in
the awareness, the treatment through funding, and for their different
programs that they have in providing the Beat Cancer pins and ribbons
that we are using today and also for their many efforts.
{time} 1745
I will just yield back now to the gentlewoman from West Virginia
(Mrs. Capito), as we have several speakers on this side of the room who
wish to speak.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from
California for her wonderful advocacy in terms of raising the awareness
of breast cancer today, but I would also like to thank her for, as a
new member of the Women's Caucus, and as a new woman Member to the
House, for her leadership on so many issues. I have learned a great
deal in the Women's Caucus meetings that she and the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) put together.
Mr. Speaker, we all know that breast cancer, while it strikes women
in much greater numbers, men are also many times victims of breast
cancer, but
[[Page H7288]]
men can also be victims of breast cancer because many times their wives
or daughters are stricken. So I am pleased to have here today the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) to speak on breast cancer
awareness.
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I must
confess I feel a bit like an intruder as the only male speaker here
this evening. But I did want to express concern and appreciation and
also give a little perspective on it from someone who is a bit older
than most of those speaking tonight.
I remember some years ago when breast cancer was unmentionable, and
it was a very serious mistake in our society, because my experience was
that up until the 1950s, suddenly someone would die and you would say,
what happened, and the response would be, oh, she had breast cancer.
There was no discussion of it ahead of time. There was no discussion in
the media or among the public about the disease, about its causes, its
cures and so forth.
I want to rise, first of all, to pay personal tribute to one of my
heroes, and that is Betty Ford who occupied the White House, and she
was the first American woman who openly discussed breast cancer and
opened the floodgates for the women of this country. Ever since then it
has been a topic discussed very freely; there is constant information
available about the nature of the disease, how to detect it, how to
prevent it that simply was not around before that. This is one reason,
incidentally, that I nominated her for the Congressional Gold Medal 2
years ago at the same time I nominated her husband. It is the first
case in which both a President and First Lady received a Congressional
Gold Medal, but I felt she deserved it as much as her husband because
of what she had done in the area of breast cancer.
I want to mention something else that is rarely known or noticed or
discussed, and the gentlewoman referred to it a moment ago in her
introductory comments, and that is that men also have breast cancer. It
is far less frequent, but almost always undiscovered until it is far
advanced, because most men simply do not know that it is a male disease
also, and we should be aware of that.
One other point I would like to make, and this wanders a bit from the
topic, so I hope my colleagues will allow me to do that. But in my work
on the State level chairing the Public Health Committee and analyzing
the situation, I discovered that prostate cancer for men was at the
same awareness level that breast cancer for women was in the 1950s. Men
did not talk about it. Men did not get the exam and so forth. I am very
pleased that in my position there I was able to get money appropriated
to publicize this, to provide for public exams and so forth. We must
publicize that in this country as well. This is not a hidden disease,
as breast cancer was not, even though we treated it that way a half a
century ago. Currently, the fatality rate for prostate cancer among men
is greater than the fatality rate for breast cancer among women. We
really have a lot more to do in that area as well.
So I appreciate the gentlewoman scheduling this Special Order. It is
absolutely essential to call attention to the need for more mammograms,
more detailed mammograms, and I am pleased as a scientist that we
continue to make progress in the quality of mammograms. My wife has
kept me fully informed of this, as an experience that used to be very,
very painful and not very valuable has now become virtually painless.
The quality of the last mammogram she had, as she recounted it to me,
was simply exceptional, and I am very pleased to see these continuing
scientific and medical advances. I am also very, very grateful that the
cure rate is getting so much better. I have so many friends who are
survivors of breast cancer, 3 alone just in the past year. I am just
grateful that we continue to make advances in treatment and cure as
well.
So I thank the gentlewoman again for having this Special Order. It is
absolutely essential to call attention to this. Let us make sure that
all of us work together, male and female, Republican and Democrat, to
ensure that we eradicate this horrible disease.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I enjoy his insight
into not only the possibilities of males having breast cancer, but I
think we need to raise the awareness of that, and then the hope that we
all have to find this, eradicate it, find a cure. So I am pleased that
the gentleman was able to join us this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California.
Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, we do thank the gentleman for
coming today, because although we recognize that it is not an alarming
number of breast cancer victims on the male side, still men do get it,
so I thank him so much.
Ms. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield at this time to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Eshoo), an outstanding member of the Women's Caucus.
Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California, my
colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, and everyone that is
here tonight to raise the flag during October, which is National Breast
Cancer Awareness Month in our Nation. It is a very important time for
everyone in the country, and I thank our colleague for just talking
about yesteryear when breast cancer, 2 words, really were not uttered.
It was a source of embarrassment, it was a secret, it was something
that was just between a woman and her physician, and that has changed,
and it has changed enormously.
Today, in the year 2001, while we do not know or have not found a
cure for breast cancer, much has been done in order to make progress to
reach that goal. That is why I think October is especially important.
Today, October 24, is the first anniversary to the day that a bill
was signed into law that so many of us were a part of. Now, one might
think that legislation that was written some time ago to address
underinsured and uninsured women relative to treatment would be an
absolutely simple idea that would flow through the Congress. Well,
while we had more than a majority of Members that had signed on to the
bill, there were still enough Members in the Congress to play havoc
with it and to play politics. But a year ago today, that bill that I
referred to, and my colleagues that are here right now were the
stalwarts that helped raise this up and make it a law, the breast and
cervical cancer bill was signed into law.
Now, what was that bill all about and what has happened in a year's
time? I think it is unprecedented.
First of all, we have constituents that came to us that were able to
take advantage of a program that a much earlier Congress, and I believe
the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) was a part of at that
time, where women could apply through a program of the Centers for
Disease Control, the CDC, they could go locally and be able to get the
tests that would tell them what shape they were in, essentially. It is
a very good law and there were many women who applied for that and were
able to use it. However, the Congress had not taken the necessary steps
that once any of those women were detected to have breast cancer, that
they could then seek treatment. So we essentially said, we will help
you find out, but when you find out that you are victimized by this
disease and also by a lack of insurance coverage, by the way, in this
country, that you were on your own. There was story after story that
came to us, because we had hearings on this, and the legislation was
written.
Today, because of the law that was signed into law, the bill that was
signed into law, there are now I believe 33 States that have taken up
the call to use the funding that we fought so darn hard for in this
bill. We had to have money in the bill to encourage States to place
monies next to Federal dollars in order to carry out the treatment of
these underinsured and uninsured women.
Now, who are these women? They are the women that we meet in the
coffee shop that wait on us, the waitresses, the older women that went
into the workforce later on in their lives, but spent most of their
lives raising their children. Sometimes their husbands left them. They
had absolutely no insurance coverage whatsoever.
So I think that the Congress did a very, very good thing a year ago
today. I know it was a great day of victory.
What I want to bring into focus this evening is how important women
and their families are across the country, because were it not for the
advocates
[[Page H7289]]
that constantly came to the Hill, that sent their e-mails to Members
and to key Members of Congress to make this happen, all under the
umbrella, really, and the organizing genius of the National Breast
Cancer Coalition in our country. They came to Washington over and over
again. Their stories inspired us. By the time this bill was signed into
law a year ago today, there were women that had come to the Hill that
did not enjoy the news because they had lost their lives to breast
cancer.
So I want to salute the National Breast Cancer Coalition in our
country for the work that they did to help make this possible.
I would like to read into the Record the States that are now
participating in this program, and they are in alphabetical order. I
think it is a real honor. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington
State, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
So if anyone in the Congress wonders whether we can make a
difference, whether when we raise our voices to change a system, to add
on to it, to pay attention to our constituents and their stories, we
can indeed make a difference in our time, we can do something noble
that is going to enhance the lives of American families.
So thank you to those families, thank you to the advocates, thank you
to the women of the Congress.
Mr. Speaker, when we run for office, we are so often asked,
especially as women, do you think that we should vote for you just
because you are a woman? My response during my campaign was, no, that
is not enough. But understand that when women go to the Congress, they
take their life experiences to that public table. We know we have very
complicated bodies. We know that mammography and its standards needed
to be raised. It was the women in the Congress that did that.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to place into the Record my thanks to a
very courageous man in the Congress and that is our colleague, the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha). He has been really the
guardian angel of and created the funds through the Department of
Defense, $175 million, that is directed toward the research for breast
cancer, and he is recognized across our Nation and our Women's Caucus
for the work that he does really very quietly year in and year out. So
we pay tribute to him.
Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the women that are tuned in this
evening and might be listening to us that we hope that we have made you
proud of not only the Women's Caucus, but the women that have come to
the Congress. I want to salute my colleagues, past and present, upon
whose shoulders we stand. I see the gentlewoman from New York (Ms.
Slaughter) is here who, before I came to the Congress, was doing this
work. I want to thank my colleagues that are the cochairs of the
Women's Caucus. It is a very important vehicle.
{time} 1800
I know, as Auntie Mame says, that we have miles to go and places to
see, but we will continue that fight. We will not rest until we find
the cure for this disease that has victimized too many.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Eshoo), and I commend her for her hard work in this
area.
I was extremely gratified to see that when they got to the W's, that
she did name West Virginia as one of the States taking advantage of
those very, very critical funds in terms of breast cancer detection.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentlewoman from California
(Mrs. Capps).
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from
West Virginia, for yielding time to me. I appreciate being able to
stand here. It is an honor to join with my colleagues on this important
topic of breast cancer and Breast Cancer Awareness Month being in
October.
Mr. Speaker, our colleague who just spoke referenced the fact that
when we women come to Congress, we bring our life stories with us. I
have in front of me as I speak today the face of my sister, my sister
Frieda, who a year ago was going about her life, but in the ensuing
months in November got the report back from her mammogram and then her
biopsy, and indeed, needed to go through that whole year of treatment,
which was surgery on both breasts and followed by chemotherapy,
followed by radiation. It is a very daunting challenge that so many
women face across this country.
So I speak of this opportunity in this place; but I speak also about
my sister, and all the many sisters we have across this land today.
It was indeed a highlight of mine in the last session of Congress to
be a part of the effort, it really felt like a groundswell, to see
enacted the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act which my
colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), just referred
to, and highlighted and outlined its importance.
It is an honor for me to be part of the legislation which is
currently finding its way, the bill by the gentlewoman from North
Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey),
which requires that NIH conduct studies to see if there is an
environmental connection between breast cancer and the statistics that
we find ourselves with today.
I am pleased to be part of the effort to reauthorize the breast
cancer stamp, which has generated so much needed revenue for breast
cancer research and efforts.
I am proud to be part of the effort to double the funding for the
National Institutes of Health, where so much important research
continues in this area.
We must not forget that it is a very vital part of the Patients' Bill
of Rights, the reforming that is needed for our managed care system
which will allow the inclusion of clinical studies to be part of health
insurance plans.
But I want to also give recognition to the important, remarkable work
that women have done across this country on their own, the coalitions
that have built up: the Race for the Cure; the event that just
transformed my community this last weekend, the Avon three-day event.
On last Friday morning, 3,000 folks came out to send off the team
taking part in this major fundraising effort to raise awareness but
also funding, funding that is so needed in the area of breast cancer
research and treatment.
It is the national breast cancer coalitions indeed, as has been
mentioned already, which have spearheaded much of the legislation that
we are following through with here. That is the way it should be done.
The inspiration comes from the lives and hearts and communities where
women and their families and their loved ones, and men as well, face
the diagnosis, are strong in the face of it, and go forward.
As the situation has changed over the years with breast cancer, I
give great credit to those who were out in front insisting that it be a
topic we talk about, insisting that it have its place in our research
dollars and in our treatment efforts, and that it be also such an
important part of the awareness of all people in the country, and those
women who seek to have treatment after a diagnosis; and that they are
willing to go through that and have their treatments and exams each
year.
Then I will close with my own story, because 2 weeks ago it was my
turn to go for my annual mammogram, which I do every year, and to have
come back some questions, some doubts; and to have the radiologist sit
down with me and say, I think you need to have a stereotactic biopsy.
My heart began to pound, even though I knew that the chances are that
it could be benign. All women who face this in the waiting room of
whichever place they go for screening know that feeling.
So I was scheduled and had the biopsy. Then you wait again for the
news from the surgeon. I am very grateful that my story was good. At
this point it is negative. I will follow the course of revisiting, re-
examinations. I will be faithful in doing that.
But as I stand here and talk about this very personal experience for
me, I am aware that today in this country there are places where women
do not know to go to get a mammogram;
[[Page H7290]]
where it is hard to find the clinic, it is hard to get time off from
work to do it, it is hard to make these pieces come together.
Also, there is a lot of fear still in the hearts of people across
this land. This word ``cancer'' is a scary word and an ominous word,
and one that we want to put under the bed and under the carpet and not
have to face it.
I urge those who are part of our discussion this afternoon to spread
the word to acknowledge the fact that, yes, there was once a time when
it was truly something to be terrified of, but though it is still a
tough diagnosis, that the treatment rate is so much advanced, so much
improved; that there is much hope there. We stand here in Congress able
and willing to continue the work so that one day it will not only be a
treatable disease, but one that we can look forward to its elimination.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the
gentlewoman from California, for her insight and for sharing her
personal story, because I think it shows that a proactive approach to
diagnosis does not necessarily end in a bad way; but it ends in a way
to put one on high alert, so one knows as the years and months go by
that we need to be retested and relooked at and be very aware of how
our bodies are developing.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Kingston), who has come in to share some of his insights into breast
cancer and breast cancer awareness. I thank the gentleman for joining
us today.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from West Virginia
for yielding to me and want to thank my other colleagues for the hard
work they have done over the many years on this important issue.
As a member of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies of the Committee on
Appropriations, this is something that we have made a priority with the
FDA in terms of breast cancer testing and screening.
I remember years ago the FDA gave us an example of something that
they had not yet approved of, and it was a self-testing device that was
a very thin piece of kind of a rubbery substance maybe about 6 inches
in diameter. It was a circle, and you would apply it to your chest, and
it was an amazing thing, because it could pick up a grain of salt and
make it magnified on the fingertips, so women who wanted to do this
sort of self-testing could do it at home. It was not foolproof, but it
would raise the awareness level.
Our argument with the FDA is if they just approve this, then people
can do this self-test and it will be on their minds. That is one of the
things that we need to do is make sure that the testing is on women's
minds.
I am very fortunate that my mother has had it on her mind over the
number of years, because about 1 month ago she found out, very sadly,
and to her shock and our family's sadness, that she had breast cancer.
And fortunately, because of her proactiveness, we were able to get a
good analysis.
Yesterday she had actually had the operation for it. I talked to my
sister in Denver who had flown out from Dallas where she lives and
spent the night with my mother in the hospital, and she said that Mom
is doing well and should be home tonight.
Just before the gentlewoman yielded the time, I called out to
Colorado to get a medical report. I regret I do not have one right now.
But last night, after the operation, things were doing well; and so we
are all prayerfully standing by.
But think about how fortunate we are in my own family that medical
technology is such that a lump the size of a pin's head had been
discovered, and that because of this proactivity, Mom is hopefully home
tonight, and also will continue to be with us for 50 and 60 or a couple
hundred more years.
So this is relevant. This is the type of legislation that affects all
of our families. It is the type of activity that we can do in our
congressional offices that goes to each American home and family.
I am glad October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but the other 11
should be, as well. I am glad we celebrate Mother's Day; but we should
also celebrate it not just once a year, but all during the year.
As a boy who traumatically was raised with three sisters, the only
boy in the family, I can say, God bless womanhood, I love them all; and
I am glad that my sisters have the opportunity to benefit from this
legislation, and that my wife and my two daughters will, as well.
So I think the research has to continue, the awareness has to
continue, the education campaign has to continue. I am proud to see
that the gentlewomen are taking leadership on this and doing it on a
bipartisan basis.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Good luck to his
mother. I know she is in good hands.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms.
Slaughter), my vice-chair counterpart.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding to
me.
I want to join my colleagues in recognizing October as National
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, because no disease is feared so much by
American women as breast cancer.
At this moment, 3 million women in our Nation are living with breast
cancer, 2 million have been diagnosed, and 1 million's cancer remains
undetected. In 2001 alone, there will be 233,000 new cases of breast
cancer in the United States, making it the number two cancer diagnosis
among women. This year, 40,000 women will die of the disease. To put
this in perspective, a new case of breast cancer is diagnosed every 2
minutes, and an American woman dies of breast cancer every 13 minutes.
To be sure, we have come a long way in the last few decades. There
was a time not so long ago when breast cancer was not considered polite
conversation. Women suffered and died in virtual isolation, because no
one would talk about this silent scourge.
But today, however, it is different. We have public education
programs urging women to have mammograms. Programs are available for
low-income women to receive screening; and as of last year, as the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) pointed out, with her bill they
can get treatment.
It must have been the worst thing in the world, before this bill was
passed, to be diagnosed with breast cancer and have no ability whatever
to pay for treatment. Chemotherapy drugs are now less toxic and more
effective; and we even have a drug, Tamoxifen, that can help prevent or
postpone the onset of breast cancer in women who are at high risk.
For the first time since records were kept, breast cancer death rates
actually declined during the 1990s. I am deeply proud of the part we
played in this caucus in obtaining research funding for breast cancer
and in ensuring that women were included in all clinical trials.
But so much more remains to be done. We need better methods of
detecting breast cancer. The mammogram is an old technology and an
imperfect one. Some tumors can exist for 6 to 10 years before they are
detectable with the mammogram machine.
We need to understand the causes of breast cancer, and then determine
the steps women can take to reduce the risk. Treatment must be further
refined so women can defeat breast cancer and enjoy a long and healthy
lifespan.
Mr. Speaker, in my judgment as a microbiologist, the future of breast
cancer research lies along two parallel paths: genetic research and
environmental studies. Together, these two avenues will lead us to the
detection, prevention, and treatment methods of the future.
Genetic research is already well on its way, and scientists have
identified four separate genes that indicate an increased risk for
breast cancer, and more that we have not yet identified possibly acting
in combination with other genes.
Our understanding of the genetics of breast cancer is in its infancy,
but it is developing rapidly. We must ensure, however, that genetic
information is used to help patients and not to harm them. Genetic
information will be a powerful tool, but it must be used for the right
purposes.
In order to safeguard genetic information, my colleague, the
gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), and I have introduced H.R.
602, the Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment
Act, which
[[Page H7291]]
will ensure that health insurance companies and employers will not use
predictive genetic information to deny individuals coverage or job
opportunities.
I am pleased to report that this bill has the support of 255
bipartisan cosponsors and hundreds of organizations involved in health
care issues. I hope very much the House leadership will allow this
important bill to come up on the suspension calendar so we can get this
done before the end of this year.
{time} 1815
It is certain to pass the Senate.
As important as genetics are, environmental factors are proving to be
equally significant. Ninety percent of breast cancer victims have no
family history of the disease, which means something in their
environment is triggering their cancer.
Women are more susceptible to environmental toxins for a number of
reasons. First, they are smaller so toxins since have a greater impact.
Second, they have a higher proportion of fatty tissue where toxins tend
to accumulate; and third, they tend to metabolize toxic substances more
slowly.
Women may also be at greater risk for disease since they are often
exposed to higher levels of household chemicals. Many women take
hormone supplements for birth control or relief of the symptoms of
menopause. Women experience greater fluctuations in hormone levels
throughout their lives. They may also affect susceptibility to
pollutants or to environmental estrogen. This risk may be greatest in
puberty due to major hormonal changes and the rapid growth of the
breast tissue.
For all of these reasons, we must increase our research into the
impact of the environmental factors on women's health. I am proud to
co-sponsor the Women's Environmental Health Research Centers Act which
would establish six centers of excellence on women's health research
around the Nation.
H.R. 183 has the support of 48 bipartisan co-sponsors and the wide
range of organizations concerned with women's health.
At the beginning of this century, we are standing on a frontier of an
entire new era of medicine where genetic and environmental health
research will point us towards entirely new ways of conceiving,
detecting, preventing and treating disease. We must ensure that this
new information is used to advance the care of all patients and not to
undermine their best interests. Neither type of research can take place
in a vacuum. Instead, they must proceed interlinked and in parallel. If
we can achieve these goals, then we will have in sight the end to the
dreadful scourge of breast cancer.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from New
York and introduce another colleague, the gentlewoman from New York
(Mrs. Maloney).
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues to
mark the Breast Cancer Awareness Month and thank the co-chairs of the
women's caucus for putting this together tonight.
We have made enormous progress in the fight against breast cancer. We
have more than doubled the Federal dollars for breast cancer research
since I came here in 1993. This has been the effort primarily of women
in the women's caucus, some famous, some infamous, and many men who
have been our allies and they have helped us get this funding. In
particular, I would like to mention the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Murtha), who each year funds breast cancer research in the DOD
budget to well over $175 million.
Over the past 20 years thanks in large part to this government-funded
research, there has been an explosion in what we know about and how to
prevent and treat a disease that is expected to strike over 192,000
American women in 2001.
Breast cancer mortality rates have fallen every year since 1989. We
now have a drug that can decrease the chance of developing breast
cancer by 50 percent if we detect problems early; and research on new
detection and treatment methods is moving forward faster than ever
before. Gene expression will isolate the genes that will trigger breast
cancer allowing for customized, more effective treatment. Biologically
targeted therapies will identify and target proteins and other agents
that make cancer cells grow without affecting healthy cells.
Thirty different targeted therapies are now in clinical trials and
some are expected to receive FDA approval within 1 or 2 years.
Angiogenesis inhibitors which target blood vessels that contribute to
tumor development are also in the final stages of clinical trials.
Finally, several different vaccines are in clinical trials, and it is
realistic that we will see a breast cancer vaccine in the near future
for a disease that strikes one in eight American women during their
lifetime. The notion of a vaccine was unthinkable a decade ago. So we
are learning more and more about breast cancer all the time, but we
have always known that prevention is the best way to treat breast
cancer.
An exciting detection method which could supplement mammograms is in
the works. Ductal lavage spots unusual changes in cells lining the milk
ducts which are the source of most breast cancers. This promises to be
a highly effective method for assessing a woman's risk for developing
cancer which will give her a vital head start on prevention and
treatment planning.
Until additional methods are finalized, women are still best served
by monthly breast exams, bi-annual gynecological exams, and annual
mammograms. These preventative steps save lives. Mammograms must
continue to be a major focus of our legislative action on breast
cancer.
There are two pieces of legislation before Congress that will go a
long way towards minimizing the fatality rates of the most common form
of cancer in women. In May, Senator Feinstein and I, along with the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly) introduced H.R. 1809, the Cancer
Screening Coverage Act, that ensures that Americans will be covered for
breast, prostate, and cervical screening. It would require Federal and
private health plans to inform members about and provide coverage for
cancer screening. Mammograms and clinical breast examinations would be
expressly covered under this bill.
In the 105th Congress, along with the woman's caucus and support from
many of my colleagues, I was successful in getting enacted the Breast
Cancer Early Detection Act of 1997 which provides for coverage of an
annual screening mammogram under part B of the Medicare program for
women age 65 and older.
To ensure the continuation of this successful program, which has
saved countless lives, we need to update the Medicare payment rate so
that mammography centers can stay open. In my city of New York,
screening centers have had to close because they could not afford to
stay open. They were losing too much money. The reimbursement rates
were too low. We must increase the Medicare reimbursement rate for both
diagnostic and screening mammography, and that is what the Assure
Access to Mammography Act of 2001 will do, which the gentleman from New
York (Mr. King) has introduced and which I am cosponsoring with him.
We must renew our commitment to providing this life-saving
technology. The inclusion of mammography coverage by Medicare was a
hard-won landmark provision that must be preserved. HHS' center for
Medicare and Medicaid have recently proposed cuts in funding for
diagnostic mammograms, mammograms for women who have been diagnosed
with or are fighting cancer, breast cancer.
Any proposal to cut back treatment for women who need it most is
unconscionable and must not stand. We must maintain the Medicare
reimbursement rates. This is especially important since Medicare serves
as a benchmark for private health plans. What we cut in the public
sector is likely to be mirrored in the private sector.
Mr. Speaker, we have come so far in the fight against breast cancer,
and this is no time to turn back. I thank the co-chairs of the Women's
Caucus for arranging this special order, and I will continue working
with them for breast cancer treatment funding research.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate all of the
gentlewoman's hard work, many years of hard work. It is an inspiration
to all of us.
I would now like to yield to my colleague, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood).
[[Page H7292]]
Mr. GREENWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and
I thank the Women's Caucus and all of the sponsors of this special
order for taking the time.
I wanted to just briefly reflect on what the advances that we have
made in breast cancer have meant to our family. My older sister, Alice,
has just been through all of this. She will kill me for saying she is
older, but she is just a tad older than I am, I look older. She went
through the screening. She learned she had a lump. She had the surgery.
She had the chemo. She had the radiation, lost all of her hair but
never lost her courage, never lost her character, never lost her love
of life; and she has come through it remarkably well. So well that she
is now pursuing an advanced degree and living as active and rich and
full a life as ever she has.
Had it not been for the money that we have sunk into research in so
many ways, I do not think that my sister, Alice, would be with us at
this time; and on behalf of her family and my family and our whole
clan, I wanted to express our gratitude to researchers and the doctors
and recommit myself to continuing to support whatever is necessary in
terms of financial resources to continue that research so that not only
may our family enjoy the blessings of a cure for breast cancer but
millions of others may as well.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the gentleman coming
this evening, and I think it is just another example of how breast
cancer reaches all lives, males and females, every family; and I
certainly wish the gentleman's sister the best.
In order of appearance, I would like to yield to the gentlewoman from
Ohio (Mrs. Jones).
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the
gentlewoman for yielding.
I would like to thank the co-chair of the Women's Caucus, my good
friend, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), for
all the work that we do in the Women's Caucus. It is a difficult task
leading a caucus, and I want to commend her on the work that we do as
we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
I dedicate my comments this evening to four living women who have
survived breast cancer: Gwen Chapman, Bobbi Butts, Jacqui Royster, and
Marion Brown, and to one who did not survive breast cancer, in memory
of Debbie Smith.
Let me tell my colleagues a little bit about Debbie Smith. She and I
were assistant prosecutors together; and we shared an office. And the
sign outside the office said Smith and Jones, and no one ever believed
that it was the truth that our names were Smith and Jones. I dedicate
my words this evening on behalf of all of these strong and dedicated
women.
I can only think of the great times I have had when we have done the
Race for the Cure. It was a shame that this year unfortunately, as a
result of the acts of September 11, that the Race for the Cure was
cancelled in my city, the city of Cleveland. I was able for the past 3
years to sponsor a group of young women called Teen Lift. I am a member
of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and part of the responsibility in
being part of Teen Lift was to do a community awareness week or
activity. And one of the activities was I used to pay the registration,
give them T-shirts; and we would do the Race for the Cure each year.
I also want to talk about the numerous groups in my city who are
involved in breast cancer. There is one organization dedicated
specifically to minority women, to bring the awareness about breast
cancer to the attention of many, many people.
I am also proud to be able to stand up and say that 2 weeks ago I had
my mammogram. I had been messing around, not doing it, telling
everybody get a mammogram, and I was not doing it myself. So I am very
proud to be able to say that I took care of that a couple of weeks ago.
Finally, I would like to also talk about one other issue as we are
talking about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have legislation pending
with regard to uterine fibroid cancer research, another illness that is
prevalent among women, but particularly among minority women. It is the
highest cause of hysterectomies among women across this country. We
need to kick up the information to women about uterine fibroid research
and the dilemma it causes women, so women will know about it and less
women will have to have hysterectomies.
Again, I am proud and happy that we have the opportunity to celebrate
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I will be even prouder at the point
that we do not have to celebrate it because we will have found a cure.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield time to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey).
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from
West Virginia (Mrs. Capito) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Millender-McDonald) for sponsoring tonight's hour; and Mr. Speaker, I
am pleased to join my colleagues on the House floor this evening to
recognize National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
My name is Lynn and I am the daughter of Ginger, who died of breast
cancer at the age of 62. Ginger is the daughter of Myrtle, who died of
breast cancer at the age of 63. I have outlived them both, luckily. We
are in a new time, a new life. I live a healthier existence than they
did. I am much more careful, and certainly I have mammograms. Life is
different now but families just like mine in succession continue to die
of breast cancer.
In 1995 the Northern California Cancer Center announced that women
living in Marin County, one of the two counties that I am very
privileged to represent, have a one in five lifetime risk of developing
breast cancer.
{time} 1830
That is the highest in the Nation. This is one of the most affluent
areas in the country. So we cannot assume breast cancer is in poor
areas. Breast cancer is in every area.
This alarming statistic prompted the formation of the Marin Breast
Cancer Watch. This group has been an incredible resource for women and
their families in my district as they cope with the realities of our
high breast cancer rate. Sadly, though, last spring, the founder of
Marin Breast Cancer Watch, Francine Levien, lost her battle to breast
cancer. Francine's activism, dedication and friendship brightened the
lives of many, many women. While Francine has left us, her spirit and
determination have not. It is because of all the Francines across this
country that today we share their message and we recognize the hard
work that must happen if we are to actually find a cure for this awful
disease.
As in Marin County, an alarming number of women are dying from breast
cancer across the Nation every year. Equally alarming is that we do not
know exactly why. As the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer
quickly rises, it is imperative that we learn what causes this disease
and we take decisive action so that we can prevent it. Only by
understanding where, how and why breast cancer occurs can we develop
effective strategies to eradicate it.
We all know that this will take funding beyond what we have already
committed, but we cannot rest until the one in seven national statistic
is a thing of the past. A growing body of evidence suggests that
exposure to toxic chemicals may accelerate the spread of breast cancer.
Some suggest this may contribute to the disproportionately high
occurrence of breast cancer among women in regions like the San
Francisco Bay area. Marin Breast Cancer Watch has led education
campaigns within our community in an effort to increase awareness of
the relationship between breast cancer and the exposure to outside
factors, like toxic chemicals. Because information is power, I have
worked hard with appropriators to secure funding over the past several
years to help study and document this link.
Mr. Speaker, only by exploring every single angle, especially
environmental risk factors, will we be able to conquer breast cancer.
As we search for the cause and the cure, we must also strengthen our
commitment to treatment options and increase access to cancer care,
prevention, and awareness programs. The media often reports conflicting
stories about what are appropriate and safe treatment options. However,
breast cancer patients have a right to make up their own minds on
[[Page H7293]]
the type of treatment that they want. We must give them the tools they
need to make informed choices about their health care options.
Women are looking for hope, for progress, for answers. Breast cancer
is beyond scary. Let us not make it more frightening by keeping women
in the dark about each and every treatment option that is available to
them. That is why I urge this Congress to truly support women's health
coverage by calling for a vote on important legislation like the Breast
Cancer Patient Protection Act and the Mammogram Availability Act.
Mr. Speaker, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, coworkers, friends,
our nieces are looking to this Congress to lead the fight against the
greatest battle they may ever face.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, quickly, because I know we are running out
of time, I want to yield to my colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas
(Ms. Jackson-Lee).
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the gentlewoman for her
leadership, but let me spend a moment thanking the co-chair of the
Women's Caucus, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-
McDonald), for her vision. She has constantly led us with an enormous
vision to be able to reach out and speak on behalf of women who cannot
speak for themselves, and I thank her very much.
In this time, Mr. Speaker, let me indicate this could not be a more
important topic for us to honor, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and
clearly I want to express my appreciation and give tribute to the
Sisters Network, an organization founded in my community, but as well a
national organization that deals and emphasizes the need to provide
information to African American women who have breast cancer.
Clearly, breast cancer is deadly. The cause and cures are still
unknown, but there is hope. Today, during Breast Cancer Awareness
Month, I am here to say that prevention is the key against breast
cancer. During 2001, an estimated 192,000 new cases of breast cancer
are expected to occur among women in the United States. It can happen
to any woman, including me or my daughter.
From 1995 to 1998, death from breast cancer fell 3.4 percent.
However, the number of new breast cancer cases rose 1.2 percent per
year from 1992 to 1998. It all involves the history of one's family.
Mammography and early detection have helped to raise incidence rates,
but we need to do more.
A new study in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute finds that an imaging technology called MRI, or
magnetic resonance imaging, may be more effective than a mammogram in
detecting breast cancer. In this new study, a group of 179 women with a
strong family history of cancer underwent a mammogram and an MRI. The
MRI detected 13 cancers, seven of which had not been detected on
mammography. So I would simply argue that we have a lot of work to do.
We clearly have come a long way, but I believe the imaging process is
something that we need to utilize in order to ensure that we save more
lives.
I am wearing a pink ribbon today, and I wear it simply to say to all
the women who may be listening, to my colleagues who have come to the
floor, that our simple message is that we want to save lives. The more
we can give information to those women, the more we can implore the
survivors who I meet every single day, those women who have fought and
have survived breast cancer that are now out there telling their
sisters that they can save a life by getting an early examination,
making sure to get regular examinations, and making sure to respond to
what their doctors say, the more likely we are to win this battle.
We can win this battle by information and sisterhood, and I believe
today we have shown that.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, breast cancer is hard to
ignore and has touched the lives of millions of American women and
their family and friends. Every three minutes a woman in the United
states learns she has breast cancer. It is the most common form of
cancer among American women--next to skin cancers, and is second only
to lung cancer in cancer deaths in women. Almost everyone knows at
least one person who has been treated for it.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer need frequent,
careful monitoring to detect early signs of breast cancer. New drugs,
new treatment regiments, and better diagnostic techniques have improved
the outlook for many, and are responsible for breast cancer death rates
going down.
Mammography has traditionally played a significant role in detecting
breast cancer, but better technology is now available.
MRI can better penetrate the breast tissue to find tiny
abnormalities, many of which are in the very early stages. MRI can also
clarify a questionable mammogram.
Another study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American
College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) involving 49,500 women in
the United States and Canada, compares digital mammography to standard
film mammography to determine how this new technique compares to the
traditional method of screening for breast cancer. Digital mammography
has the potential to provide better detection of early breast cancer.
Digital mammography uses computers and specially designed detectors
to produce a digital image of the breast that can be displayed on high-
resolution monitors. One possible advantage of digital mammography, she
said, is that it may be more effective in detecting cancers in women
with dense breasts because it has improved contrast resolution.
Although the equipment for digital costs more than film mammography,
there may be fewer callbacks or additional office visits with the new
technique and this would save money as well as lessen patients'
concerns.
Other techniques for detecting breast cancer are a clinical breast
exam, an ultrasound, and CT scanning.
Most professional medical organizations recommend that a woman have
periodic breast exams by a doctor or nurse along with getting regular
screening mammograms. A breast exam by a doctor or nurse can find some
cancers missed by mammography, even very small ones. Currently,
mammography and breast exams by the doctor or nurse are the most common
and useful techniques for finding breast cancer early.
Ultrasound works by sending high-frequency sound waves into the
breast. Ultrasound, which is painless and harmless, can distinguish
between tumors that are solid and cysts, which are filled with fluid.
CT scanning uses a computer to organize information from multiple x-
ray, cross-sectional views of a body's organ or area. CT can separate
overlapping structures precisely and is sometimes helpful in locating
breast abnormalities that are difficult to pinpoint with mammography or
ultrasound.
Mr. Speaker, early detection is the key to preventing breast cancer.
While death rates from breast cancer are falling, and while there are a
number of exciting new strategies being developed, a lot more still
needs to be done. We need to consider new technology, as well as
reinforce traditional detection techniques, as part of our commitment
to beating this deadly disease.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my colleagues for joining
me, and especially thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms.
Millender-McDonald) for her leadership.
I would like to say briefly that everyone's passion is personal. My
personal passion is the mother-in-law I never had, who died from breast
cancer at a very early age. My children never met their grandmother or
their great grandmother or their aunt. So we have to find a cure for
this horrible disease.
Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman
from West Virginia for her leadership as well. She is one of our new
Members and she has done extraordinarily well tonight on the floor, and
I wish to thank her.
Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, Breast Cancer is at an
epidemic level and will affect more than 100,000 women in the next five
years. I have followed the development of information on this issue and
I have carried legislation providing screenings, testing, mammograms
and treatment for women, particularly poor women. I have found that
women of color are less informed and are likely to receive treatment
too late. As a result, when cancer is detected, it is often too late!
We need to provide free Breast Cancer screenings, mammograms,
adequate treatment and posthesis for poor and underprivileged women. I
firmly believe that outreach programs are necessary to disseminate
important information and are essential in protecting the lives of our
loved ones!
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform our constituents, men
and women, that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Since the early 1970s, the incidence of breast cancer has increased 1.5
percent per year and has only recently shown signs of leveling off. An
estimated 192,200 new invasive cases of breast cancer are expected to
occur among women in the United States this year.
[[Page H7294]]
And an estimated 40,200 women will die from breast cancer. In fact,
Rockland County in my Congressional District was recently determined to
have the highest incidence of breast cancer in the entire Nation. This
is a distinction I would prefer that my district did not have.
The most important message we can send to the women of our Nation is
that early detection is key to beating breast cancer. Early detection
increases one's chances of survival and there are a number of ways to
screen for breast cancer. Women aged 20 and older should perform
monthly breast self-examinations, women aged 20-40 should have clinical
breast exams done at least every 3 years and women over 40 should have
clinical breast exams and mammograms performed annually.
Breast cancer in men is rare, but it does happen. In 2001, it is
estimated that 1,500 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 400
will die from it. The survival rate of men and women is comparable by
stage of disease at the time of diagnosis. However, men are usually
diagnosed at a later stage, because they are less likely to report any
symptoms. Treatment of breast cancer is the same as treatment for women
patients and usually includes a combination of surgery, radiation,
chemotherapy, and/or hormone therapy.
The causes of breast cancer are not fully known. However, health and
medical researchers have identified a number of factors that increase a
woman's chances of getting breast cancer. Risk factors are not
necessarily causes of breast cancer, but are associated with an
increased risk of getting breast cancer. Importantly, some women have
many risk factors but never get breast cancer, and some women have few
or no risk factors but do get the disease. Being a woman is the number
one risk factor for breast cancer. For this reason, it is important to
perform regular breast self-exams, have clinical breast exams, and have
routine mammograms in order to detect any problems at an early stage.
While many risk factors such as getting older, having a mother,
daughter, or sister who has had breast cancer, having the mutated
breast cancer genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 or having had breast cancer are not
controllable, many factors are. These include: having more than one
drink of alcohol per day, taking birth control pills for 5 years or
longer, not getting regular exercise, currently or recently using some
forms of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for 10 years or longer,
being overweight or gaining weight as an adult or being exposed to
large amounts of radiation.
Bear in mind, that even if you feel perfectly healthy now, just being
a woman and getting older puts you at risk for breast cancer. However,
getting checked regularly can put your mind at ease. And finding cancer
early could save your life. That's why National Breast Cancer Awareness
Month is a significant endeavor.
____________________