[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 28, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E843-E844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY ON THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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                        HON. ALLYSON Y. SCHWARTZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 28, 2014

  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the work of the 
American Society of Clinical Oncology on the occasion of its 
anniversary this May, marking 50 years of

[[Page E844]]

progress in cancer treatment and ensuring access to high quality cancer 
care in the United States. When ASCO was founded in 1964, cancer was 
largely untreatable and there were only a handful of therapies 
available, most of which were ineffective and difficult for patients to 
tolerate. Less than one-half of patients with cancer lived five years 
after diagnosis. But today, more than two-thirds of patients with 
cancer are alive five years following their diagnosis, and more than 
170 drugs are available for treatment.
   While ASCO has many achievements to celebrate this year, we cannot 
afford to rest in the fight against cancer. Workforce shortages, 
payment cuts and consolidation of oncology practices are causing 
potential access issues for cancer care. With more than 1.6 million 
Americans, including nearly 80,000 Pennsylvanians, diagnosed with 
cancer each year, Congress must ensure that organizations like ASCO 
have access to the resources they need to continue this groundbreaking 
research. In Pennsylvania alone, the National Institutes for Health 
(NIH) funds more than 3,000 projects. We must continue to work together 
to ensure there is access to high quality cancer care in America.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the 
50th anniversary of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and all 
of its contributions to the fight against cancer.

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