[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 24, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5942-H5944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING PROSTATE CANCER DETECTION AND TREATMENT

  Ms. HOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 353) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that there should be an increased Federal commitment 
supporting the development of innovative advanced imaging technologies 
for prostate cancer detection and treatment, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 353

       Whereas the annual commemoration of Men's Health Week 
     during the week preceding Father's Day gives new reason to 
     consider the critical need to improve detection and treatment 
     of prostate cancer;
       Whereas prostate cancer now strikes at least one in six 
     American men, with African-American men having a 60 percent 
     higher incidence rate than Caucasian men and a mortality rate 
     twice as high;
       Whereas each year more than 230,000 American men are newly 
     diagnosed with prostate

[[Page H5943]]

     cancer, more than 1,500,000 men have biopsies, and around 
     30,000 men fall prey to this potential killer;
       Whereas it is important for men to take advantage of 
     prostate cancer screening exams in order to detect the 
     disease at the earliest opportunity, when it is still 
     curable;
       Whereas a recent study funded by the National Cancer 
     Institute demonstrated that the most common available methods 
     of detecting prostate cancer, the PSA blood test and physical 
     exams, are not foolproof--imaging would be another beneficial 
     factor in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer;
       Whereas the use of advanced imaging technologies to detect 
     and treat prostate cancer could be beneficial for eliminating 
     unnecessary and costly medical procedures that increase 
     psychological and emotional trauma for American men and their 
     families;
       Whereas the lack of accurate imaging tools means that 
     biopsies can miss cancer even when multiple samples are 
     taken, and current treatments--either radical surgery or 
     radiation--can leave 50 to 80 percent of men incontinent or 
     impotent or both; and
       Whereas advanced imaging technologies could be combined 
     with treatment tools to perform image-guided, minimally 
     invasive and precisely targeted interventions, which will be 
     performed in outpatient clinics with minimal discomfort, 
     complications and costs and which will end the fear, pain, 
     suffering and costs that prostate cancer causes men and their 
     families: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that Congress should support research and 
     development of advanced imaging technologies for prostate 
     cancer detection and treatment.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Hooley) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Ms. HOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on this resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. HOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 353, which calls for 
increased support for research and development of advanced imaging 
technologies for prostate cancer detection and treatment. This 
resolution recognizes the inadequacies of the current way prostate 
cancer is detected. There is an urgent need for the development of 
advanced imaging technologies.
  Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States 
and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. In 2008, 
more than 218,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more 
than 27,000 men will die from the disease. This resolution hopes to use 
the very successful model presented by the development of breast 
imaging technologies which has led to life-saving breakthroughs in 
detection, diagnosis and treatment of that insidious disease. Using 
this research and development model, hopefully we can achieve the same 
detection and life-saving successes for prostate cancer.
  Imaging technology cannot only save lives, but also has the potential 
for reducing health care costs with accurate and affordable diagnosis 
of prostate cancer. This is an important piece of legislation for men's 
health.
  I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Elijah Cummings, for his 
leadership on this issue and urge my colleagues to join me in support 
of House Resolution 353.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to rise in favor of House Resolution 353, 
which is sponsored by the gentleman from Maryland, Elijah Cummings. He 
has worked steadfastly on this issue that affects an approximate 2 
million Americans currently diagnosed with prostate cancer, and I 
commend him on his work.
  House Resolution 353 supports the development and innovative advances 
of using imaging technologies when detecting and treating prostate 
cancer.
  Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America and 
takes the lives of nearly 28,000 American men each year. Over a 
lifetime, that is one out of every six males will fall victim to this 
silent killer.
  Early prostate cancer usually has no symptoms and is commonly 
detected through prostate cancer screening tests such as the PSA blood 
test and DRE. The chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer 
increases rapidly after the age of 50. The most likely risk factors 
that are associated to prostate cancer are age and family history of 
the disease.
  In addition to the PSA blood test and DRE, imaging is another useful 
tool that can help with the detection and treatment of the disease. It 
is important for men to take advantage of prostate screening exams 
which could yield early detection when the disease is still curable.
  I urge my fellow Members to support House Resolution 353.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. HOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland as 
much time as he may consume.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentlelady for yielding, and I want 
to thank everyone for all the hard work that went into getting this 
bill to the floor today.
  I rise today to express my appreciation to all of my colleagues who 
are considering H. Res. 353 which I introduced expressing the need for 
enhanced support for advanced imaging technologies for prostate cancer 
detection and treatment. This legislation will lead to the development 
of prostate cancer screening technologies that are on par with 
mammography, while improving blood tests and providing education to the 
general public.
  Mr. Speaker, the tragedy of prostate cancer has touched so many 
Americans, and I ask that you consider these issues:
  Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States 
and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. This 
cancer strikes one in every six men, making it even more prevalent than 
breast cancer, which strikes one in every seven women. In 2007, more 
than 218,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 
27,000 men died from this disease. One new case occurs every 2.5 
minutes, and a man dies from prostate cancer in this country every 19 
minutes.
  To compact the matter even further, African-American men are 56 
percent more likely to develop prostate cancer compared with Caucasian 
men and nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease. Many of us 
in the Congress, and indeed throughout the country, have either 
personally been affected by the disease or had a loved one suffer from 
it. For me, it was my father.
  Tragically, our commitment to fighting the disease has not met its 
impact. To date, the Department of Health and Human Services has failed 
to invest substantial resources in promising advanced imaging 
technologies for prostate cancer research. And while they have failed, 
people have died. As a result of that, there are currently no reliable 
accurate diagnostic tools for detection and treatment of prostate 
cancer.
  The implications of this reality have been grave. More than 1 million 
men have unnecessary prostate biopsies each year, resulting in needless 
suffering and an enormous waste of resources. At least 10 percent of 
men undergoing surgery and 44 percent of men undergoing radiation 
treatment would have benefited more from watchful waiting.
  Current treatment is costly and causes many complications, including 
impotence and incontinence, in up to 50 percent of men. I might note 
here that Johns Hopkins Hospital and University, which are located in 
my district, have done many pioneering things with regard to this 
disease; as a matter of fact, they have some of the leading experts on 
it.
  More than 70,000--or about one in two--men experience treatment 
failure each year. Mr. Speaker, in this country, with the greatest 
medical system in the world, we can simply do better. And we must do 
better. That is why I was so glad that I was joined by 101 of my 
colleagues in sponsoring H. Res. 353. This legislation is a first step 
in recognizing the critical need to address this very tragic disease.
  I urge my colleagues to similarly take up the Prostate Research 
Imaging and Men's Education Act, or PRIME

[[Page H5944]]

Act, H.R. 3563, which I have also introduced.
  The bill provides $100 million per year for 5 years to expand 
research on prostate cancer and provides the resources to develop 
innovative and advanced imaging technologies for prostate cancer 
detection, diagnosis and treatment. The bill also allocates $10 million 
a year for 5 years for a national campaign to increase awareness about 
the need for prostate cancer screening and the development of better 
screening techniques.
  Finally, it will spend $20 million a year for 5 years to improve 
current, often unreliable, blood tests. Just the other day, Mr. 
Speaker, as I stood in the bank, I ran into four men, all of whom had 
recently gone through prostate cancer procedures. And it is so sad when 
you hear them tell their various stories about how it has affected 
their lives.
  And I do believe that this Congress can do better. I believe that 
this Nation can do better. So many men have said that they want to be 
treated, but they are simply afraid; they're afraid of the pain, 
they're afraid of the embarrassment. And I spend a lot of time in my 
district preaching, almost, to men to make sure they get the test. But 
if they don't have to have the test, if they can have a better method 
of discovering this disease, I want them to have that.
  Someone once said that in our time and in our space we can make a 
difference. And we can make a difference. And I realize that a 
resolution is one thing, something allocating money to do something is 
another. And that's why this is more or less a precursor, hopefully, 
for legislation which will bring about the resources so that we can 
properly address this issue.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I recognize myself for as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me just thank Mr. Cummings from Maryland 
for drafting this resolution and his bill and congratulate him on 
getting this resolution to the House floor. I encourage all of my 
colleagues to support it.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. HOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to thank my colleague 
from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for all of his hard work on this piece of 
legislation. This is something that we should pass. I urge my 
colleagues to vote ``aye.''
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. 
Res. 353 and I urge my colleagues to support the resolution. I want to 
thank Chairman Dingell and Ranking Member Barton for bringing this 
resolution to the Floor today. I am proud to be a sponsor of this 
resolution and I was honored to work with my friend and colleague from 
Maryland, Representative Elijah Cummings--the Democrat sponsor of the 
resolution--to bring some critically needed awareness to this issue. 
Representative Cummings has been a true leader on this issue, and today 
is the culmination of a two-year effort to shine a public spotlight on 
this national tragedy. This resolution sends a strong signal to the 
National Institutes of Health and the private sector that Congress is 
prepared to help them move prostate cancer detection and treatment into 
the 21st Century.
  Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer, other than some 
kinds of skin cancer, among men in the United States, affecting at 
least one in six American men, a rate comparable to breast cancer which 
strikes one in seven American women. In fact, prostate cancer is the 
second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States, 
after lung cancer, and the seventh leading cause of death overall for 
men in this country. The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 
2007 alone approximately 218,000 new cases of prostate cancer were 
diagnosed and roughly 27,000 American men died as a result of this 
disease.
  Medical experts do not know what causes prostate cancer. Medical 
experts do not know how to prevent prostate cancer, but they do know 
that not smoking, maintaining a healthy diet, staying physically 
active, and seeing your doctor regularly contribute to overall good 
health.
  While all men are at risk for prostate cancer, some factors increase 
risk:
  Family history. Men with a father or brother who has had prostate 
cancer are at greater risk for developing it themselves.
  Race. Prostate cancer is more common in some racial and ethnic groups 
than in others, but medical experts do not know why. Prostate cancer is 
more common in African-American men than in white men. It is less 
common in Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American men 
than in white men.
  It is important for men to take advantage of prostate cancer 
screening exams in order to detect the disease at the earliest 
opportunity, when it is still curable. Unfortunately, a recent study 
funded by the National Cancer Institute demonstrated that the most 
common available methods of detecting prostate cancer, the PSA blood 
test and Digital Rectal Exam, DRE, the only preinvasive indicators 
available for the detection of prostate cancer, are not particularly 
adept at detecting prostate cancer. The study showed that many PSA 
blood tests that screen for prostate cancer result in false-negative 
reassurances and numerous false-positive alarms (15 percent of men with 
normal PSA levels still have prostate cancer). Even when PSA levels are 
abnormal, 88 percent of men end up not having prostate cancer that 
would require surgery but undergo unnecessary biopsies. As a result 
more than 1,000,000 U.S. men have prostate biopsies annually--costing 
our health care system approximately $1.44 billion--many of which could 
be eliminated if we had advanced diagnostic imaging tools.
  Today, neither the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nor 
the Department of Defense devotes substantial resources to prostate 
cancer imaging research. I have been told that the National Institutes 
of Health spent only $10 million on prostate cancer detection research 
last year out of a total prostate cancer research budget of $350 
million. In short, there is no concerted Federal effort to bring the 
equivalent of mammography to prostate cancer detection.
  Breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer 
resulted from the development of advanced imaging technologies led by 
the Federal Government and I am convinced that Federal leadership could 
lead to similar breakthroughs for prostate cancer. That is why we 
introduced, along with my colleague Elijah Cummings of Maryland, H. 
Res. 353--Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
there should be an increased Federal commitment supporting the 
development of innovative advanced imaging technologies for prostate 
cancer detection and treatment.
  We owe it to ourselves, our fathers, grandfathers, brothers, sons, 
husbands, and friends to make this effort. I urge my colleagues to 
support H. Res 353.
  Ms. HOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 353, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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