[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 66 (Thursday, May 10, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH MONTH

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                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 10, 2012

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize May as National 
Cancer Research Month. This month we recognize the critical importance 
of cancer research and the contributions of researchers, clinicians, 
and patients across the country.
  Before I was a Congresswoman, I was a survivor of ovarian cancer. I 
was lucky--my cancer was found by chance in its earliest stage, and I 
have now been cancer-free for 25 years now. So I arrived in this body 
knowing firsthand the crucial importance of medical research.
  I am glad to say that our progress in fighting cancer since the 
National Cancer Act of 1971 has been nothing short of amazing. Nearly 
12 million Americans are cancer survivors. There is a vaccine to help 
prevent cervical cancer. The overall five-year survival rate has 
increased from 52 percent in 1975 to 80 percent today.
  And biomedical research is growing our economy. The National 
Institutes of Health support over 300,000 researchers at more than 
3,000 universities, institutions, and businesses across the country. 
Every single dollar of National Institutes of Health funding is 
estimated to result in an additional two dollars of business activity 
and economic impact. Keeping it simple, this means that research 
supports jobs, and has a nearly two-fold return on our federal 
investment.
  But, there is more to be done. Some cancers, including ovarian 
cancer, still have an extraordinarily high mortality rate and are 
typically caught far too late in the disease. This year, more than 1.6 
million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer. More than 
570,000 Americans will pass away this year because of cancer; meaning 
more than 1,500 Americans each day, or one person a minute, will die 
because of this disease.
  This is why our continued investments in cancer research are so 
important. Medical research creates investment opportunities for 
private industry. It strengthens our university medical system. It 
creates jobs, makes America more competitive, and drastically improves 
the quality of life for so many Americans. And it has the potential to 
save lives.
  And it is why this month we join to thank scientists and clinicians 
for their work on cancer research. And we thank the patients who 
support that research by participating in clinical trials.

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