[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2175-E2176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           OCTOBER IS NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 25, 2005

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as National 
Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For over 20 years, National Breast 
Cancer Awareness Month has educated women about early breast cancer 
detection.
  The statistics are staggering and demonstrate the dramatic impact 
this disease takes on our country. Most of us know of someone who has 
been affected by breast cancer--your mother, your sister, your wife, or 
a beloved friend.
  In the United States, breast cancer is the most common non-skin 
cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. 
It is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 
55.
  In 2005, an estimated 270,000 women will be diagnosed with some form 
of breast cancer and approximately 40,000 women are expected to die 
from this disease, 4,100 in my home State of California alone.
  While women account for the majority of breast cancer cases, we must 
not forget the estimated 1,690 men who will be diagnosed this year and 
the 460 expected to die. Due to the rarity of breast cancer in men, 
much less is known. This leads to the fact that men are more likely 
than women to be diagnosed with advanced disease and thus have poorer 
chances of survival.
  In 2002, there were approximately 2.3 million women with a history of 
breast cancer. The most recent data suggests that 13.2 percent of women 
born today will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some time in their 
lives. That means 1 in 8 women will be affected by this disease.
  Rates for women differ significantly for certain racial and ethnic 
groups. Although breast cancer deaths declined by 2.4 percent for white 
women from 1990 to 2002, the rate only dropped by 1.8 percent for 
Hispanics and 1 percent for African-Americans and Asian-Americans-
Pacific Islanders. Strikingly, breast cancer mortality rates 
disproportionately affect African-American women in relation to White 
women. In 2002, death rates were 37 percent higher for African-
Americans.
  These disparities can be seen in my home State of California and in 
my district of Alameda County. The breast cancer rate for Asian women 
in California is going up, while the rates for other California ethnic 
groups are dropping. In the Greater Bay Area, as in the U.S., African-
American women continue to have poorer breast cancer survival rates 
compared to White women.

  Specifically, in Oakland, the breast cancer incidence rate was 144.1 
per 100,000, significantly lower than the Alameda County rate of 159.7. 
This suggests that women in Oakland do not have enough access to 
testing and are less likely to be diagnosed than women countywide.
  Breast cancer does not have to take the lives of so many women. When 
detected early, the 5-year survival rate is over 95 percent. Mammograms 
and breast self-exams are proven methods of combating this disease. 
Seventy percent of all breast cancers are found through breast self-
exams and mammography can detect breast cancer an average of 1-3 years 
before it is large enough to be felt.
  Despite these proven detection methods, 13 million U.S. women, 40 
years of age or older, have never had a mammogram. For women between 
the ages of 40 and 49, a mammogram every 1-2 years may reduce the risk 
of dying from breast cancer by 17 percent and for women aged 50-74 it 
may reduce the risk by 30 percent. Women cannot afford to go without 
these life saving measures. Every day and especially on October 21, 
2005, National Mammography Day, women are encouraged to make an 
appointment.
  Although mammograms are available, many women with poor or no health 
insurance, can't afford these routine tests. It's estimated that 
current funding allows only 1 in 5 needy women who qualify for the free 
CDC National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to get 
these tests. As these simple screenings save the lives of thousands of 
women, we must commit to providing more money and resources for those 
women who can't afford to get tested.
  Despite these facts, I am happy to report that more California women 
are getting regular mammograms. In the year 2000, 79 percent of women 
age 40 and older had had a mammogram within the past 2 years compared 
to 38 percent of women in 1987.
  This month, I applaud the efforts of groups such as the American 
Cancer Society, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the National 
Breast Cancer Coalition, the CDC, the National Cancer Institute and all 
the other groups working to end this disease for their commitment to 
research, fundraising, screening, and support for individuals affected 
by breast cancer.
  In Congress we must support initiatives that advance the message of 
these groups. As Representatives, we must pass H.R. 2231, legislation 
that would establish multidisciplinary, multi-institutional breast 
cancer research centers to study the potential links between breast 
cancer and the environment.
  We must also support the $150 million appropriation for the 
Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program. 
This program is the gold standard for breast cancer research in the 
country and has a decade of support from a majority of Congress.
  Strong research translates into more effective ways to treat breast 
cancer patients. Moreover, as we develop improved methods for treating 
this disease we must ensure that all Americans have access to the 
highest quality health care.

[[Page E2176]]

  Each one of us has the duty to continue to support these meaningful 
measures and work within our communities to decrease the prevalence and 
death rate of breast cancer. In October and in every other month of the 
year we must continue the fight to educate both men and women about 
breast cancer and to eradicate this disease.

                          ____________________