[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6700-H6703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SUPPORTING DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL HEREDITARY BREAST AND OVARIAN CANCER 
                     WEEK AND NATIONAL PREVIVOR DAY

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1522) expressing support for designation of the 
last week of September as National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer 
Week and the last Wednesday of September as National Previvor Day.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1522

       Whereas it is estimated that 750,000 people in the United 
     States carry a gene mutation that causes a predisposition to 
     breast and ovarian cancer;
       Whereas approximately 5 to 7 percent of breast cancer and 
     10 to 14 percent of ovarian cancers are hereditary;
       Whereas women with these mutations have up to an 84 percent 
     chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime;
       Whereas women with a BRCA genetic mutation have up to a 50 
     percent lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer;
       Whereas the single greatest ovarian cancer risk factor is a 
     family history of the disease;
       Whereas hereditary cancers are often more aggressive than 
     other cancers and occur at a younger age, when people are 
     less likely to undergo cancer screening;
       Whereas breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death 
     in women under the age of 54;
       Whereas ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecologic 
     cancer death;
       Whereas individuals with a hereditary risk for cancer 
     require different cancer screening and risk management 
     recommendations than the general population;
       Whereas inherited BRCA genetic mutations are found in 
     approximately 1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jews and mutations have been 
     found in people of every ethnic group;
       Whereas more than one-third of Jewish women diagnosed with 
     ovarian cancer or primary peritoneal cancer at any age, or 
     breast cancer before age 40, carry an inherited BRCA 
     mutation;
       Whereas African-Americans and Hispanic Americans are less 
     likely to have access to hereditary cancer information and 
     appropriate health care;
       Whereas children of parents with an inherited 
     predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer have a 50 percent 
     chance of inheriting the predisposition;
       Whereas among many in the cancer community, a ``previvor'' 
     is a survivor of a predisposition (or increased risk) to 
     cancer;
       Whereas genetic counseling and genetic testing can 
     determine if an individual is at high risk for breast or 
     ovarian cancer;
       Whereas raising awareness of hereditary cancer and 
     knowledge of a genetic predisposition can directly lead to 
     preventive strategies that can reduce the chance of dying 
     from cancer;
       Whereas the last week of September would be an appropriate 
     week to designate as National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian 
     Cancer Week; and
       Whereas the last Wednesday in September would be an 
     appropriate date to designate as National Previvor Day: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the designation of National Hereditary Breast 
     and Ovarian Cancer Week; and
       (2) supports the designation of National Previvor Day.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 1522, expressing support for National 
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week and National Previvor Day. 
This resolution will help to raise awareness of the risk of these 
aggressive cancers.
  Many Americans are at risk of developing these cancers over the 
course of their lifetimes, and the risk is even greater for those who 
are genetically predisposed to contract them. As the resolution notes, 
hereditary cancers

[[Page H6701]]

can be more aggressive than other forms of cancer, and people may 
develop them at younger ages, when they are less likely to undergo 
cancer screening. If cancer is diagnosed early, chances of surviving it 
can increase. I am pleased to join my colleagues to encourage early 
screening.
  House Resolution 1522 was introduced by our colleague, the 
gentlewoman from Florida, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, on 
July 15, 2010, and was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform. It comes to the floor today with the support of over 
80 cosponsors. I thank the gentlewoman, and would like to note that her 
tenacity in battling and surviving breast cancer should inspire all of 
us to work as hard as she did to preserve our health.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting House 
Resolution 1522.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this one hits close to home. I lost my mother to cancer 
at a very young age, to breast cancer. My father a few months ago was 
diagnosed with colon cancer. Difficult to watch and to see. But I rise 
today in strong support of this House Resolution 1522, expressing 
support for the designation of the last week of September as National 
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week and the last Wednesday of 
September as the National Previvor Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend my colleague from Florida 
who introduced this resolution not only as a Member of Congress, but as 
a cancer survivor and a previvor herself. For her courage and example, 
we appreciate it. I also thank Chairman Clay for his leadership and the 
ability to work together and to bring this resolution to the floor.

                              {time}  1140

  This resolution gives this body an opportunity to raise awareness of 
hereditary cancers of all kinds, informing as many people as we can of 
the possibility that they or a loved one may have a genetic 
predisposition for cancer that can lead to preventive strategies that 
may significantly reduce the chance of an individual dying from cancer.
  Even though it was before my allotted age of 50 when I was supposed 
to do some screening, I recently went and got a colonoscopy. I will 
spare you the details of that procedure, but I can tell you that it is 
well worth it to not only have the peace of mind but to do the 
responsible thing for our families and get checked for these types of 
cancers that can go undetected with, really, no symptoms. I am glad I 
did it, and I am grateful for the medical practices that we have in 
this country to be able to do that.
  Mr. Speaker, an astounding number of women in this country, 
approximately one in eight, will suffer from breast cancer at some 
point during their lives. This year alone, an estimated 209,000 women 
will be diagnosed with the potentially deadly ailment. While the number 
of deaths attributed to breast cancer has declined since 1990, roughly 
40,000 women are still expected to die this year from the disease. 
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women under the age of 
54. When my mother passed away, she was only 52 years old.
  Mr. Speaker, while not as common as it is in women, let us not forget 
about the men who also will suffer from breast cancer. While less than 
1 percent of new breast cancer cases are found in men, this number was 
still almost 2,000 in the year 2008.
  Along with breast cancer, ovarian cancer poses another major medical 
threat to women in this country. Each year in the United States, over 
21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and approximately 15,000 
die from the disease. Ovarian cancer accounts for roughly 3 percent of 
cancer diagnoses in women in the United States. It is the ninth most 
common cancer among women. The greatest risk factor is family history 
of the disease.
  Mr. Speaker, approximately three-quarters of a million people in this 
country are carriers for a gene mutation that causes a predisposition 
to breast and ovarian cancer. Women that have one of these mutations 
face nearly an 84 percent chance of suffering from breast cancer at 
some point during their lives.
  Furthermore, women who have the BRCA genetic mutation have up to a 50 
percent chance of developing ovarian cancer. Roughly 5 to 7 percent of 
breast cancer and 10 to 14 percent of ovarian cancer cases are 
hereditary. More than one-third of Jewish women diagnosed with ovarian 
or primary cancer at any age or diagnosed with breast cancer before age 
40 have been found to be the carriers of the inherited BRCA mutation.
  Mr. Speaker, the other purposes of this resolution is to recognize 
those known as previvors. According to the nonprofit organization 
FORCE, cancer previvors are ``individuals who are survivors of a 
predisposition to cancer but who haven't had the disease.'' These 
individuals have a known predisposition for cancer such as a family 
history or hereditary genetic mutation and must live with a unique set 
of emotional and medical issues. Previvors are forced to make 
extraordinarily difficult medical management decisions throughout their 
lives, the likes most of us will never know.
  Mr. Speaker, I again commend my colleague from Florida for 
introducing this resolution. I applaud her brave fight against breast 
cancer and for her continued campaign to increase cancer awareness and 
to combat this horrific disease.
  I urge all Members to join me in strong support of House Resolution 
1522, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. I want to thank my colleague from Utah for promoting an 
awareness of cancer screening.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the chief sponsor of this 
legislation, and one of the most courageous colleagues we have because 
she is a survivor, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman 
Schultz).
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you, Chairman Clay, for your very kind 
remarks.
  Congressman Chaffetz, thank you very much for taking the lead on your 
side of the aisle. Let me just express the grief that I know you felt 
for the loss of your mother. I have shared that grief with so many 
women since I shared my own personal story, and hopefully the 
resolution that we have today will raise awareness so that we can 
continue to catch more cancer earlier so that we can have more 
survivors in the United States.
  Let me also commiserate with you on the pre-50 experience that I had 
for a colonoscopy, which wasn't any fun, but is absolutely necessary. 
Thank you for mentioning that too, although we all will spare the gory 
details for everyone. Suffice it to say that it's not a fun experience, 
but one that is very necessary.
  But I rise today to offer H. Res. 1522, expressing support for 
designation of the last week of September, this year being the week of 
September 26, as National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week and 
the last Wednesday of September as National Previvor Day.
  Of all the cancers that affect women, roughly 10 percent of cases are 
caused by genetic factors. Though this percentage is relatively small, 
the risk for this group, as you have just heard, is huge.
  Women with hereditary risk factors for breast cancer carry an 85 
percent lifetime risk of developing the disease. For ovarian cancer, 
most women have about a 1.5 percent lifetime chance of developing the 
disease. But for those with hereditary risk factors, that chance can be 
as high as 50 percent, and as I learned almost 3 years ago, I am one of 
those women.
  Together with my colleagues and inspirational organizations, 
including Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, or FORCE; Bright Pink; 
and the Young Survival Coalition, this resolution gives a voice to 
these women and brings awareness to the risks of hereditary cancer and, 
as I have said many times and as so many of my colleagues have said on 
the floor many times, knowledge is power.
  Hereditary cancer syndrome describes an inherited gene mutation that 
increases the risk for one or more types of cancer. The main hereditary 
breast and ovarian syndromes are caused by mutations in one of two 
genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2--I am a BRCA2 carrier--which substantially 
increase the risk for breast and ovarian

[[Page H6702]]

cancer and slightly increase the risk for other kinds of cancers.
  For women with a hereditary risk of cancer, it often strikes at an 
earlier age when they are less likely to expect it, but when the cancer 
is often more aggressive and more deadly. These young women with a 
heightened genetic risk are known as previvors, individuals who are 
survivors of a predisposition to cancer, but who haven't yet had the 
disease.
  I was 41 when I discovered that I had breast cancer. Because my 
cancer was discovered so early, I may have only needed minimal 
treatment. However, as an Ashkenazi Jewish woman, as a woman of Eastern 
European Jewish descent, I was at a higher risk of carrying a BRCA 
mutation, and my early cancer set off warning bells for my doctors.
  At the time, I did not know of my increased risk for carrying the 
BRCA gene mutation, but I was fortunate that once diagnosed with breast 
cancer, I had access to experts that helped me learn more about what 
the BRCA gene mutation meant for me. Genetic testing confirmed the 
worst. Unfortunately, I had hereditary cancer which dramatically 
increased my chances of a recurrence of breast cancer and getting 
ovarian cancer as well. Facing my disease, I have become both a 
survivor and a previvor.
  As a mother of three beautiful children, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to 
make sure that I would be around to see them grow up. I faced tough 
choices, but seven major surgeries later, I have dramatically reduced 
the chances that my own cancer will come back.
  Fortunately, there are organizations like FORCE, Bright Pink and the 
Young Survival Coalition that support young women as previvors and as 
survivors of cancer. These organizations bring essential awareness to 
these issues and help women at risk by providing the information, 
support and the voice they need to help survive their hereditary risk. 
As I said before, knowledge is power.
  It is also why, with the help of 377 cosponsors in the House, I filed 
the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act, 
known as the EARLY Act, to bring this message of knowledge and 
awareness to the forefront of the story about cancer. I am proud that 
the EARLY Act is now the law of the land.
  With the odds stacked against them, young previvors need to know 
their risks. It is our responsibility to empower these women to know 
their bodies, speak up about their health, and work together to wipe 
out these deadly diseases.
  I believe this resolution will help in that effort. National Previvor 
Day and Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week, which bridges 
September's Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and October's Breast Cancer 
Awareness Month, will bring added public awareness to the risks for 
genetic cancers. I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in support 
of H. Res. 1522.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just add, before I close, that I am thrilled to 
see that our colleague from Connecticut, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, 
who is an ovarian cancer survivor, has joined us on the floor in 
support of this resolution.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe we have any additional 
speakers.
  I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 2 minutes 
to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kilroy).

                              {time}  1150

  Ms. KILROY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1522, which 
expresses support for the designation of National Hereditary Breast and 
Ovarian Cancer Week and National Previvor Day. I'm proud to be a 
cosponsor of this resolution which will raise critical awareness about 
hereditary cancers and increase knowledge about genetic predispositions 
which may put some individuals at particular risk.
  And just as an aside, I just want to take note that when we passed 
our health care bill, we made it much more likely that people will get 
the information to find out about whether they have a genetic 
predisposition. Without that health care bill which would prohibit 
discrimination on the basis of an existing condition, many women and 
men would be afraid to learn more about their genetic histories. But 
this is critically important information about how you would be able to 
address certain signs and symptoms and heighten awareness about your 
particular situation.
  We all know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, and we 
understand the devastating impact that the diagnosis can have on 
patients and loved ones. I have been through it with my family, with a 
very close person in my family with respect to ovarian cancer, and my 
husband's young cousin is struggling with breast cancer right now. One 
in two men and one in three women will develop cancer in their 
lifetime, and in 2010 alone, nearly 1.5 million Americans will be 
diagnosed with cancer.
  Although we have made great strides in recent years in finding new 
treatments, we must support efforts to find the genetic mutations that 
increase the likelihood that some people will develop cancer in their 
lifetimes. We need to work on cures. We need to work on treatments. But 
finding causes is critically important as well.
  We also must encourage everyone to know as much as they can about 
their own family histories so they can work with their physicians and 
get the necessary and timely screenings as early as possible. 
Hereditary cancer can strike at a younger age.
  I appreciate this opportunity, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of declaring the last 
week of September to be National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer 
Week and the last Wednesday of September to be National Previvor Day.
  I want to thank my colleagues who have spoken this morning and all of 
whom have dealt in some way with the issue of breast cancer, ovarian 
cancer, or maybe some other form of cancer. It is probably the worst 
day of your life when you are given a cancer diagnosis. You are not 
listening to what any doctor says. You are only consumed with 
understanding whether or not you are going to live or die or what is 
going to happen to your family if such a death should occur.
  After heart disease, cancer is still the second-leading cause of 
death in America, and breast cancer the most common cancer diagnosis. 
In 2006, over 40,000 women died from this disease. Ovarian cancer, 
meanwhile, is the fifth most common cancer among women. Close to 14,000 
of our friends and family are expected to perish from ovarian cancer 
this year.
  Perhaps the saddest thing about these grim numbers is that some of 
these deaths are readily preventable. Thanks to modern science, we now 
know much more about the genetic and hereditary precursors of these 
cancers and can identify the women most at risk, the previvors that are 
predisposed to develop them. We also know that women who catch their 
ovarian cancer at an earlier stage are over three times more likely to 
survive the disease than those who do not. Sadly, over 60 percent of 
the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 1999 and 2006 fell into 
this latter category.
  Similarly, women diagnosed with breast cancer early are more than 
four times more likely to survive the disease than women diagnosed at a 
later stage. And yet one in five women over age 50 have not had a 
mammogram in the past 2 years.
  We have worked to address these troubling statistics with the 
preventive care reforms in the Affordable Care Act. But there is no 
substitute for awareness, and that is why I strongly support this 
resolution and encourage all women, and particularly previvors with a 
genetic predisposition for those cancers, to get tested early and get 
tested often.
  Twenty-four years ago, it was an early diagnosis of ovarian cancer 
that saved my life. It was accidental. It should not be accidental. 
People should not survive by accident.
  It is so critically important that this resolution pass. We can save. 
We can save women, and we save women and we save their families. And I 
urge my colleagues. I was lucky. My life was given back to me and gave 
me a second chance. Let's give our families, the women in this country, 
a first chance and a second chance to survive. I urge my colleagues to 
support this resolution.

[[Page H6703]]

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge us all to support and pass this 
important resolution. This is something that should truly unite us in 
this fight. We continue to build awareness and encourage people to get 
checked. And our hearts and prayers go out to those loved ones who are 
suffering from this, but there is great hope.
  I urge my colleagues to get behind this resolution, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank my colleagues--the 
gentlewomen from Florida, Ohio, and Connecticut--for lending their 
voice to this issue and raising the level of awareness throughout this 
country as far as the dreaded disease of cancer is concerned.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1522.
  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. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  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.

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