[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 53 (Thursday, April 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E632-E633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE 18TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL MINORITY CANCER 
                             AWARENESS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 2004

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 18th annual 
National Minority Cancer Awareness Week and to address an issue that is 
of grave concern to thousands of Americans. Cancer is the second 
leading cause of death among Americans, responsible for one of every 
four deaths. In 2004, over 560,000 Americans--or more than 1,500 people 
a day--will die of cancer. Over 18 million new cases of cancer have 
been diagnosed since 1990, and about 1.4 million new cases will be 
diagnosed in 2004 alone. I am sure that each of us has either lost a 
family member or close loved one to this dreadful disease or know of 
someone who has suffered such a loss.
  In 1971, President Nixon and Congress declared an all out war on 
cancer. Since then, national investment in cancer research and programs 
have reaped remarkable returns, including a 57 percent decline in 
cancer mortality rates. Unfortunately, cancer still remains the number 
two killer in America, just behind heart disease. And despite all the 
progress that has been made in the battle against cancer, this disease 
doe not affect all races equally. The burden of cancer continues to 
fall on communities of color. Mr. Speaker, African Americans are more 
likely to die of cancer than people of any other racial or ethnic 
group. From 1996 through 2000, the average annual death rate per 
100,000 people for all cancers combined was 257 for African Americans, 
199 for whites, 138 for Hispanics, 138 for Native Americans/Alaska 
Natives, and 125 for Asians/Pacific Islanders. In fact, my state of 
Maryland ranks 12th in cancer mortality rates among the 50 states and 
the District of Columbia. Between 1996 and 2000, African Americans in 
Maryland outpaced the national average on every leading cancer 
mortality index: lung cancer (68.7 per 100,000 persons), colorectal 
cancer (30.6 per 100,000 persons), breast cancer (35.5 per 100,000 
persons), and prostate cancer (75.6 per 100,000 persons). It is 
estimated that 25,310 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in Maryland, 
and 10,430 members of my community will die from this disease in 2004.
  To make these numbers real, on a national basis if you are a black 
man in the United States and contract prostate cancer, you have a 73.0 
percent mortality rate versus the national average of 32.9 percent. If 
you are an African American woman and contract breast cancer, you have 
a higher mortality rate, 35.5 percent versus the national average of 
27.7 percent. I am sure like me many of you find these statistics truly 
shocking.
  According to the American Cancer Society, the primary cause of 
disparities in cancer between African Americans and the general 
population is poverty. Biological or inherited characteristics are less 
important than socioeconomic factors in explaining differences in 
cancer incidence and mortality among major racial and ethnic 
populations in the United States. As a result, many economically 
challenged racial and ethnic minorities lack access to high quality 
health care. The major consequences of inadequate access to preventive 
services and early detention are that diseases like cancer are more 
often diagnosed at later stages when the severity is likely to be 
greater and options for treatment, as well as the odds of survival, are 
decreased. The future health of America as a whole will be 
substantially influenced by our success in improving the health of 
minority and other medically underserved populations.

  Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 18th annual National Minority Cancer 
Awareness Week, a national campaign initiated by Congress in 1987 to 
heighten awareness of the unequal cancer burden borne by racial and 
ethnic minority populations and other medically underserved 
communities. This week incorporates the theme ``Cancer is a Burden, 
Finding Help Shouldn't Be''. The goal is to increase the nation's 
awareness of the programs and services available in minority 
communities and to provide an opportunity to engage impacted 
communities in the fight against cancer. This week also provides an 
important opportunity to commend those working tireless in my district 
and in communities across this nation to improve the quality of life 
for all Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, on this 18th anniversary of National Minority Cancer 
Awareness Week, I urge my colleagues to make cancer research and the 
eradication of this terrible disease a national priority. Cancer 
research saves lives. We must maintain the pace of cancer research by 
increasing the budget of the National Institutes of Health at least 8.5 
percent for fiscal year 2005. Unfortunately, the Administration's FY 
2005 budget proposal only calls for a 2.6 percent increase, where an 8 
percent increase is needed; thereby falling behind inflation and far 
short of what is required to sustain the current pace of discovery.
  Mr. Speaker, we must also address the national nursing shortage. 
Nurses serve on the

[[Page E633]]

front-line in the battle against cancer, providing critical patient 
care services and also helping conduct cancer research through clinical 
trials. This complex and multifaceted chronic disease demands an 
adequate supply of trained, educated, and experienced nurses. As such, 
we must adequately fund the Nurse Reinvestment Act and other nursing 
workforce programs.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, advances in cancer prevention, detection and 
treatment over the past several decades have increased longevity and 
improved the quality of life for many people. Once again, however, not 
all segments of the U.S. population have benefited equally. A strong 
investment in the National Center for Minority Health and Health 
Disparities (NCMHHD) will expand our knowledge about health disparities 
and target initiatives geared to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the 
disparate burden of cancer and other diseases on minority and medically 
underserved communities. The Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act 
of 2003, H.R. 3459, introduced by the Congressional Black Caucus, 
Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Asian-Pacific Caucus, would help 
enable community-based organizations to increase detection and 
screening efforts; would establish guidelines for treatment modalities 
for minorities; and would provide additional funding for cancers that 
impact minorities more adversely, such as prostate and breast cancer.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge this body to use the 18th anniversary of National 
Minority Cancer Awareness Week to renew its commitment to the 
eradication of this devastating disease. Together, we can reduce and 
ultimately eliminate the disparate burden of cancer and other diseases 
on minority and medically underserved communities.

                          ____________________