[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 130 (Thursday, July 27, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING RESEARCH FUNDING FOR EPITHELIOID HEMANGIOENDOTHELIOMA AND 
                           OTHER RARE CANCERS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JAMIE RASKIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2023

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the urgent need 
for research funding for epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE). EHE is 
a rare and devastating cancer that can affect anyone of any age and 
that grows in the cells that make up our blood vessels, often appearing 
in the liver, lungs, and bones. This disease is very rare, affecting 
one in one million people, and is also exceedingly difficult to 
diagnose.
  According to the National Cancer Institute, patients suffering from 
EHE often live with severe pain, broken bones, disability, and 
respiratory infections. Studies show that EHE is more common in women, 
but more fatal for men. Because of its status as an exceedingly rare 
form of cancer, there is no standard treatment available and meager 
funding for lifesaving research.
  This rare cancer is extraordinarily difficult to treat and often does 
not respond to chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Because there is 
no standard, effective treatment for EHE, many patients must resort to 
organ transplants and undergo a vascular embolization, where doctors 
block the artery supplying blood to the tumor.
  One of my constituents recently lost his beloved cousin, Brianna Rae 
Carney, to this terrible disease. To honor her courageous, selfless 
spirit, he wrote me to encourage this body to raise awareness of EHE 
and invest in robust medical research
  Mr. Speaker, as a cancer survivor who owes my life to the excellent 
and effective medical treatment that I was fortunate enough to receive, 
I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting increased federal 
support for finding more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for 
this terrible disease.

                          ____________________