[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 49 (Thursday, April 21, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ONCOLOGY NURSING SOCIETY

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                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 20, 2005

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, I 
rise today to pay tribute to oncology nurses. This year the Oncology 
Nursing Society is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. During that time, 
we have seen great advancements in cancer care. Cancer patients have a 
better chance of survival than ever before. In the past 20 years, the 
survival rate has doubled from 32 percent to 64 percent. Oncology 
nurses have played a big part in that.
  Oncology nurses are vital to providing quality care. They are on the 
frontlines in our nation's battle against cancer, and serve an 
essential role to, not only their patients, but also to the American 
public. Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, the director of the U.S. National 
Cancer Institute, has stated, ``By 2015, we can eliminate cancer 
suffering and death.'' Dr. von Eschenbach's goal can only be achieved 
with oncology nurses. Every day, oncology nurses see the pain and 
suffering caused by cancer and understand the physical, emotional, and 
financial challenges that people with cancer face throughout their 
diagnosis and treatment.
  These nurses are principally involved in the administration and 
monitoring of chemotherapy and the associated side-effects patients 
experience. As anyone ever treated for cancer will tell you, oncology 
nurses are intelligent, well-trained, highly skilled, kind-hearted 
angels who provide quality clinical, psychosocial and supportive care 
to patients and their families. In short, they are integral to our 
nation's cancer care delivery system.
  The Oncology Nursing Society's mission is to promote excellence in 
oncology nursing and quality cancer care. To that end, ONS honors and 
maintains nursing's historical and essential commitment to advocate for 
the public good by providing nurses and healthcare professionals with 
access to the highest quality educational programs, cancer-care 
resources, research opportunities and networks for peer support. ONS 
has 13 chapters in my home state of New York, which help oncology 
nurses provide high quality cancer care to patients and their families 
in our state.
  I thank all oncology nurses for their dedication to our nation's 
cancer patients, and commend the Oncology Nursing Society for all of 
its efforts and leadership over the last 30 years. They have 
contributed immensely to the quality and accessibility of care for all 
cancer patients and their families, and I urge my colleagues to support 
them in their important endeavors.

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