[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 75 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S5812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S5812]]
   SENATE RESOLUTION 508--DESIGNATING OCTOBER 20, 2006 AS ``NATIONAL 
                           MAMMOGRAPHY DAY''

  Mr. BIDEN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 508

       Whereas, according to the American Cancer Society, in 2006, 
     212,920 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,970 
     women will die from that disease;
       Whereas it is estimated that about 2,000,000 women were 
     diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1990s, and that, in 
     nearly 500,000 of those cases, the cancer resulted in death;
       Whereas African-American women suffer a 30 percent greater 
     mortality rate from breast cancer than White women and more 
     than a 100 percent greater mortality rate from breast cancer 
     than women from Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian 
     populations;
       Whereas the risk of breast cancer increases with age, with 
     a woman at age 70 having twice as much of a chance of 
     developing the disease as a woman at age 50;
       Whereas at least 80 percent of the women who get breast 
     cancer have no family history of the disease;
       Whereas mammograms, when operated professionally at a 
     certified facility, can provide safe screening and early 
     detection of breast cancer in many women;
       Whereas mammography is an excellent method for early 
     detection of localized breast cancer, which has a 5-year 
     survival rate of more than 97 percent;
       Whereas the National Cancer Institute and the American 
     Cancer Society continue to recommend periodic mammograms; and
       Whereas the National Breast Cancer Coalition recommends 
     that each woman and her health care provider make an 
     individual decision about mammography: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates October 20, 2006, as ``National Mammography 
     Day''; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     the day with appropriate programs and activities.

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, today I am submitting a resolution 
designating October 20, 2006, as ``National Mammography Day.'' I might 
note that I have submitted a similar resolution each year since 1993, 
and on each occasion the Senate has shown its support for the fight 
against breast cancer by approving the resolution.
  Each year, as I prepare to introduce this resolution, I review the 
latest information from the American Cancer Society about breast 
cancer. For the year 2006, it is estimated that nearly 213,000 women 
will be diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 41,000 women will die 
of this disease.
  In past years, I have often commented on how gloomy these statistics 
were. But as I review how these numbers are changing over time, I have 
come to the realization that it is really more appropriate to be 
optimistic. The trend over time is that the number of deaths from 
breast cancer is actually stable or falling from year to year. Early 
detection of breast cancer continues to result in extremely favorable 
outcomes: 97 percent of women with localized breast cancer will survive 
5 years or longer. New digital techniques make the process of 
mammography much more rapid and precise than before. Government 
programs will provide free mammograms to those who can't afford them, 
as well as Medicaid eligibility for treatment if breast cancer is 
diagnosed. Just last year, the headline on the front page of the 
Washington Post trumpeted a major improvement in survival of patients 
with early breast cancer following use of modern treatment regimens 
involving chemotherapy and hormone therapy. This year, we learned that 
newer anti-estrogen drugs are effective in preventing breast cancer in 
high-risk women. Information about treatment of breast cancer with 
surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy has exploded, reflecting 
enormous research advances in this disease. So I am feeling quite 
positive about our battle against breast cancer. A diagnosis of breast 
cancer is not a death sentence, and I encounter long-term survivors of 
breast cancer nearly daily.
  In recent times, the newspapers have been filled with discussion over 
whether the scientific evidence actually supports the conclusion that 
periodic screening mammography saves lives. It seems that much of this 
controversy relates to new interpretations of old studies, and the 
relatively few recent studies of this matter have not clarified this 
issue. Most sources seem to agree that all of the existing scientific 
studies have some weaknesses, but it is far from clear whether the very 
large and truly unambiguous study needed to settle this matter 
definitively can ever be done.
  So what is a woman to do? I do not claim any expertise in this highly 
technical area, so I rely on the experts. The American Cancer Society, 
the National Cancer Institute, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task 
Force all continue to recommend periodic screening mammography, and I 
endorse the statements of these distinguished bodies.
  On the other hand, I recognize that some women who examine these 
research studies are unconvinced of the need for periodic screening 
mammography. However, even those scientists who do not support periodic 
mammography for all women believe that it is appropriate for some 
groups of women with particular risk factors. In agreement with these 
experts, I encourage all women who have doubts about the usefulness of 
screening mammography in general to discuss with their individual 
physicians whether this test is appropriate in their specific 
situations.
  So my message to women is: have a periodic mammogram, or at the very 
least discuss this option with your own physician.
  I know that some women don't have annual mammograms because of either 
fear or forgetfulness. It is only human nature for some women to avoid 
mammograms because they are afraid of what they will find. To those who 
are fearful, I would say that if you have periodic routine mammograms, 
and the latest one comes out positive, even before you have any 
symptoms or have found a lump on self-examination, you have reason to 
be optimistic, not pessimistic. Such early-detected breast cancers are 
highly treatable.
  Then there is forgetfulness. I certainly understand how difficult it 
is to remember to do something that only comes around once each year. I 
would suggest that this is where National Mammography Day comes in. On 
that day, let's make sure that each woman we know picks a specific date 
on which to get a mammogram each year, a date that she won't forget: a 
child's birthday, an anniversary, perhaps even the day her taxes are 
due. On National Mammography Day, let's ask our loved ones: pick one of 
these dates, fix it in your mind along with a picture of your child, 
your wedding, or another symbol of that date, and promise yourself to 
get a mammogram on that date every year. Do it for yourself and for the 
others that love you and want you to be part of their lives for as long 
as possible.
  And to those women who are reluctant to have a mammogram, I say let 
National Mammography Day serve as a reminder to discuss this question 
each year with your physician. New scientific studies that are 
published and new mammography techniques that are developed may affect 
your decision on this matter from one year to the next. I encourage you 
to keep an open mind and not to feel that a decision at one point in 
time commits you irrevocably to a particular course of action for the 
indefinite future.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to join me in the ongoing fight 
against breast cancer by cosponsoring and voting for this resolution to 
designate October 20, 2006, as ``National Mammography Day.''

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