[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 130 (Thursday, November 16, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11048-S11049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to make my colleagues aware 
of inflammatory breast cancer, IBC, the least common but most 
aggressive type of breast cancer. Although IBC accounts for 1 to 5 
percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States, it is an 
especially aggressive and rare form of breast cancer.
  The unique symptoms of IBC can result in misdiagnoses or late 
diagnoses. IBC often presents with similar symptoms as mastitis, a type 
of breast infection. The disease also occurs more frequently in younger 
women. Physicians may believe these young women are at lower risk for 
breast cancer and might misdiagnose their symptoms. Unfortunately, 
these delays in correct diagnosis result in the sad fact that IBC is 
more likely to have metastasized at the time of diagnosis than non-

[[Page S11049]]

IBC cases. IBC is also an especially aggressive form of breast cancer. 
As a result, the survival rate for patients with IBC is significantly 
lower than those with non-IBC breast cancer.
  These sobering facts tell us that education and awareness about this 
rare cancer are desperately needed so that women are quickly and 
properly diagnosed. My home State of Washington is making important 
strides in this direction. In fact, Washington State recently 
celebrated Inflammatory Breast Cancer Awareness Week, thanks to the 
foresight of Governor Christine Gregoire and the hard work of 
Washington's IBC advocates. This special observance goes a long way in 
raising awareness about IBC in my home State.
  Efforts such as Washington State's awareness week are a good start, 
but more education and awareness are needed for both patients and their 
physicians. We also must increase access to screening, especially for 
low-income women. One important step that Congress can take to increase 
these efforts is to pass S. 1687, the National Breast and Cervical 
Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2005. For all 
types of breast cancer--but especially for IBC--early detection is 
critical to catching cancer early before it spreads. I am working with 
Chairman Enzi and Ranking Member Kennedy to bring this bill up for a 
vote in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and it is 
my hope that we can pass this bill before the end of the 109th 
Congress.
  In closing, I commend the efforts of Governor Gregoire and the IBC 
advocates in Washington State. I am committed to making the Federal 
Government a strong partner in these efforts by increasing awareness 
and access to screening. Together, we can help ensure that every woman 
gets screened for breast cancer and that she and her doctor have access 
to the latest medical research.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
a copy of the proclamation from Washington State to which I referred.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                              Proclamation

       Whereas, except for nonmelanoma skin cancers, breast cancer 
     is the most common cancer among woman, and is the second 
     leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung 
     cancer; and
       Whereas, Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is the most 
     aggressive form of breast cancer and has a faster doubling 
     time than other breast cancers; and
       Whereas, the total number of breast cancer cases diagnosed 
     for 2005 was 210,000, and of that number, six percent were 
     IBC; and
       Whereas, symptoms of IBC are similar to those of mastitis, 
     a benign breast infection, and because IEC usually grows in 
     nests or sheets rather than a solid tumor, it can spread 
     throughout the breast without a detectable lump. It is 
     usually not detected by mammograms or ultrasounds unless 
     there is a defined tumor; and
       Whereas, laboratory based research on IBC has been limited 
     because little, if any, pretreatment tumor tissue is 
     available for research; and
       Whereas, we recognize the courage and strength of women 
     battling IBC, and the families and friend's who love and 
     support them, and our state is grateful for the hard work and 
     commitment of our dedicated researchers and medical 
     professionals; and
       Whereas, with continued effort, we can raise any awareness 
     of IBC and find new ways to prevent and treat this deadly 
     disease;
       Now, therefore, I, Christine O. Gregoire, Governor of the 
     state of Washington, do hereby proclaim October 1-7, 2006, as 
     Inflammatory Breast Cancer Awareness Week in Washington 
     State, and I urge all citizens to join me in this special 
     observance.

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