[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 157 (Monday, October 26, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN HONOR OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF MEDICAL RESEARCH IN GEORGIA

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                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 26, 2015

  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a 
disease that is important to my family, breast cancer. This devastating 
disease strikes 1 in 8 women, affecting our mothers, wives, daughters, 
sisters, and loved ones. In Georgia, breast cancer is a particularly 
serious problem as it is the most common type of cancer and the second 
most deadly type of cancer among women in the state. According to the 
nonprofit Sisters by Choice, 6000 women will be diagnosed with breast 
cancer, and 1000 will die from breast cancer in Georgia each year. This 
epidemic is made worse by the fact that 19 percent of Georgians do not 
have health insurance, 33 percent of Georgia counties do not have 
mammography machines, and 75 percent of Georgia counties are medically 
underserved. Due to slow detection caused by these facts, 30 percent of 
breast cancers will have metastasized and be present in other places 
throughout the body by the time they are found.
   Despite the disheartening statistics about cancer, I know that there 
is still hope. Detection and treatment advances found in the past few 
years will help to both lessen the risk of cancer and win the fight to 
eradicate cancer. I am pleased that Georgia is a hub for medical 
innovation in the fight against cancer, utilizing public and private 
partnerships to research the disease. Moreover, the CDC and the 
internationally regarded cancer centers at Emory University, Georgia 
Regents University, the University of Georgia, Northside Hospital, and 
other centers throughout the state have pioneered effective, yet 
minimally invasive ways to treat this disease.
   Additionally, the CDC has contributed to this effort through public 
outreach programs aimed at improving surveillance so that cancers can 
be caught early. In addition, the internationally-renowned Winship 
Cancer Institute at Emory University has tested 75 percent of FDA-
approved new cancer treatments in the past seven years. At another 
renowned institution, researchers at the University of Georgia have 
discovered a vaccine that attacks a previously unassailable protein. 
This vaccine is vitally important because this protein is found in the 
majority of killing cancers and in the ``triple-negative'' tumors 
common in a particularly dangerous variant of breast cancer.
   In addition to the work done by the professional research 
institutions in Georgia, I am proud that the Georgia community has come 
together to support those who are suffering from not just breast 
cancer, but cancers of all types. For instance, Sisters by Choice, a 
nonprofit organization centered around helping underinsured and 
underserved women to find and treat breast cancer, is working on 
creating a mobile clinic that will provide screenings, diagnostic 
services, access to clinical trials, and other resources to these 
disadvantaged populations. In addition, wonderful nonprofit 
organizations working with cancer centers, such as the Cancer Support 
Community Atlanta and the Treehouse Gang, an organization based around 
supporting children with a parent suffering from cancer, provide vital 
assistance and hope to cancer sufferers and their families. Finally, 
the Atlanta 2-Day Walk has raised $11 million in just 13 years to help 
find new ways to treat and prevent breast cancer. Through these 
initiatives, and the hard work of the cancer centers in Georgia, I know 
that definite progress has been and will continue to be made to treat 
and eradicate this deadly disease.

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