[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 142 (Monday, September 24, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1956-E1957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS 
                                 MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 24, 2007

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution 
that is designed to give comfort to the millions of American families 
who struggle with prostate cancer.
  September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Because of the 
way prostate cancer affects our society, awareness is one of the most 
powerful tools we have to combat and defeat it. With this resolution, 
Congress has an opportunity to lend its voice to the communities, 
families, and individuals who are fighting to find a cure for an 
illness that kills more than 27,000 men every year.
  It is easy to get caught up in statistics when talking about massive 
health challenges like prostate cancer, and the numbers produced by 
this disease are indeed staggering. Over 200,000 men will be diagnosed 
in the United States this year. One in every six American males will 
have prostate cancer at some point during his life. Prostate cancer is 
the most common type of non-skin cancer in the country, and will kill 
approximately 27,000 men this year alone.
  Twenty-seven thousand fewer husbands, fathers, uncles, best friends, 
and mentors because of prostate cancer, Madam Speaker. This is not a 
disease that we can afford to ignore.
  Fortunately, we are not helpless in our fight against this killer. If 
caught early and treated correctly, prostate cancer can be managed and 
overcome. In fact, nearly all patients who identify that they have 
prostate cancer in its early stages survive and go on to live healthy 
adult lives.
  The problem is that early-stage prostate cancer exhibits no symptoms. 
As a result, early and vigorous screening is absolutely critical for 
doctors to find the 27,000 American men who won't catch their prostate 
cancer early enough, and who will die as a result.
  Screening will become an even more important part of our fight 
against prostate cancer as the baby boom generation comes of age. Males 
between the ages of 50 and 65 are particularly susceptible to prostate 
cancer, and this pool of men over 50 will only get larger in the near 
future. In today's United States, a man turns 50 years old about every 
fourteen seconds.
  As a result, the aggregate risk to our society posed by prostate 
cancer will only rise as that huge swath of people born in the 1950s 
continues to age. Our fight against this killer will only become more 
challenging, Madam Speaker, even as we increase the quality of our 
screening, treatment, and research related to the disease.
  That is why awareness will be so critical in the near future. The 
more people we make aware of the risks of prostate cancer, the better 
our chances of curing them before it is too late. National Prostate 
Cancer Awareness Month is a vital part of this mission. Every year in 
September, prostate cancer advocates, survivors, patients, and policy 
leaders heighten awareness of this disease. This is not just a feel-
good exercise, Madam Speaker. It saves lives and keeps families 
together.
  In many ways, the growth in Federal research spending into this 
disease can be traced to the positive effects and outreach of National 
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. A disease which once received $86 
million for research is now a $466 million priority for medical 
researchers around the country. This huge success is due in large part 
to the tireless advocacy of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, 
working with so many partners in support of National Prostate Cancer 
Awareness Month.
  For the sixth year in a row, the United States Senate and the 
President have issued resolutions supporting National Prostate Cancer 
Awareness Month. The House of Representatives has never joined them, 
Madam Speaker, until today.
  With the resolution I now introduce with my colleague Mr. Latham of 
Iowa, the people's House will finally be on record supporting the 
worthy goals of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Millions of 
American families around the country deserve the help of the

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House of Representatives in their fight against this silent killer, and 
I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this timely and 
overdue resolution.

                          ____________________