[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 139 (Thursday, October 27, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S12002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          BREAST CANCER AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH ACT OF 2005

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today in support of S. 757, the 
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2005.
  This month marks the 21st year of National Breast Cancer Awareness 
Month, a campaign that provides a special opportunity to offer 
education about the important association between early detection and 
survival. National Breast Cancer Awareness month also salutes the more 
than 2,000,000 breast cancer survivors in the United States and the 
efforts of victims, volunteers, and professionals who combat breast 
cancer each day.
  According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the 
leading cause of death among women between the ages of 40 and 55; and 
one out of every eight women who live to the age of 85 will develop 
breast cancer in her lifetime. But the disease is not limited by 
gender. In 2005, approximately 1,700 new cases of invasive breast 
cancer will be diagnosed among men in the United States. In my home 
State of Utah, as indicated by the Utah Cancer Registry, breast cancer 
has the highest incidence rate of the ten leading cancer types. This 
disease has an impact on nearly every American's life.
  Breast cancer death rates have been dropping steadily since 1991; 
however, challenges still remain. The bottom line is that we still do 
not know what causes this disease, or how to prevent it. Less than 30 
percent of breast cancers are explained by known risk factors. There is 
general belief within the scientific community that the environment 
plays a role in the development of breast cancer, but the extent of 
that role has been less-examined.
  Research has investigated the effect of isolated environmental 
factors such as diet, pesticides, and electromagnetic fields; but, in 
most cases, there has been no conclusive evidence. In-depth study of 
these potential risks could provide invaluable information in 
understanding the causes of breast cancer, and could lead to new 
prevention strategies. Clearly, more research needs to be done to 
determine the impact of environmental factors on breast cancer.
  Along with Senators Chafee, Reid, Clinton, and Talent, I have 
introduced S. 757, the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 
2005, to address this palpable need for research. Specifically, the 
bill would authorize the National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences, NIEHS, to award grants for the development and operation of 
up to eight centers for the purpose of conducting research on 
environmental factors that may be related to breast cancer. This 
legislation is modeled after the highly successful and promising 
Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, DOD BCRP, which 
operates under a competitive, peer-reviewed grant-making process that 
involves consumers.
  Isolated studies have been conducted to look at suspected 
environmental links to breast cancer; but these studies are only a 
small step toward the broad strategic research that is required. What 
is needed is a collaborative, comprehensive, nationally focused 
strategy to address this oversight, a strategy like the one outlined in 
S. 757.
  As this year's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a 
close, I urge my colleagues to support this important bill. This 
Federal commitment is critical for the overall, national strategy and 
the long-term investments required to discover the environmental causes 
of breast cancer so that we can prevent it, treat it more effectively, 
and, ultimately, cure it.

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