[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17644-17645]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  SENATE RESOLUTION 353--DESIGNATING OCTOBER 20, 2000, AS ``NATIONAL 
                           MAMMOGRAPHY DAY''

  Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. 
Bayh, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Byrd, Mr. 
Cleland, Mr. Conrad, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, 
Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Frist, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Graham, Mr. 
Gramm, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Helms, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Jeffords, 
Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Hollings, Ms. 
Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. 
Lincoln, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Mack, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Miller, Mr. Murkowski, 
Mrs. Murray, Mr. Reid, Mr. Robb, Mr. Roth, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Schumer, 
Mr. Smith of Oregon, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Specter, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Warner, 
and Mr. Wellstone) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 353

       Whereas according to the American Cancer Society, in 2000, 
     182,800 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,800 
     women will die from this disease;
       Whereas in the decade of the 1990's, it is estimated that 
     about 2,000,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, 
     resulting in nearly 500,000 deaths;
       Whereas the risk of breast cancer increases with age, with 
     a woman at age 70 years having twice as much of a chance of 
     developing the disease as a woman at age 50 years;
       Whereas at least 80 percent of the women who get breast 
     cancer have no family history of the disease;
       Whereas mammograms, when operated professionally at a 
     certified facility, can provide safe screening and early 
     detection of breast cancer in many women;
       Whereas experts agree that mammography is the best method 
     of early detection of breast cancer, and early detection is 
     the key to saving lives;
       Whereas mammograms can reveal the presence of small cancers 
     up to 2 years or more before a regular clinical breast 
     examination or breast self-examination, reducing mortality by 
     more than 30 percent; and
       Whereas the 5-year survival rate for localized breast 
     cancer is over 96 percent: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates October 20, 2000, as ``National Mammography 
     Day''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling upon the people of the United States to observe such 
     day with appropriate programs and activities.

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, today I am introducing a resolution 
designating October 20, 2000, as ``National Mammography Day''. I am 
pleased that 54 of my colleagues have endorsed this proposal by 
agreeing to be original cosponsors. I might note that I have introduced 
a similar resolution each year since 1993, and on each occasion the 
Senate has shown its support for the fight against breast cancer by 
approving the resolution.
  Each year, as I prepare to introduce this resolution, I review the 
latest information from the American Cancer Society about breast 
cancer. For the year 2000, it is estimated that nearly 183,000 women 
will be diagnosed with breast cancer and slightly fewer than 41,000 
women will die of this disease.
  In past years, I have often commented on how gloomy these statistics 
were. But as I review how these numbers are changing over time, I have 
come to the realization that it is really more appropriate to be upbeat 
about this situation. The number of deaths from breast cancer is 
falling from year to year. Early detection of breast cancer continues 
to result in extremely favorable outcomes: 96 percent of women with 
localized breast cancer will survive 5 years or longer. New digital 
techniques make the process of mammography much more rapid and precise 
than before. Government programs will provide free mammograms to those 
who can't afford them. Information about treatment of breast cancer 
with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy has exploded, 
reflecting enormous research advances in this disease.
  So I am feeling quite positive about breast cancer. A diagnosis of 
breast cancer is not a death sentence, and I encounter long-term 
survivors of breast cancer so frequently now on a daily basis that I 
scarcely give it a second thought. And the key to this success is early 
diagnosis and treatment, with routine periodic mammography being the 
linchpin of the entire process. Routine mammography can locate a breast 
cancer as much as 2 years before it would be detectable by self-
examination. The statistics tell the story: the number of breast cancer 
deaths is declining despite an increase in the number of breast cancer 
cases diagnosed. More women are getting mammograms, more breast cancer 
is being diagnosed, and more of these breast cancers are discovered at 
an early and highly curable stage.
  So my message to women is: have a periodic mammogram. Early diagnosis 
saves lives. But I know many women don't have annual mammograms, 
usually because of either fear or forgetfulness. Some women avoid 
mammograms because they are afraid of what they will find. To these 
women, I would say that if you have periodic routine mammograms, and 
the latest one comes out positive, even before you have any symptoms or 
have found a lump on self-examination, you have reason to be 
optimistic, not pessimistic. Such early-detected breast cancers are 
highly treatable.
  Let me consider an analogous situation. We know that high blood 
pressure is a killer, and we are all advised to get our blood pressure 
checked from time to time. Are we afraid to do this? No. Why not? 
Because we know that even if high blood pressure is detected on a 
screening examination, it can be readily and successfully treated. We 
also know that high blood pressure is not going to go away by itself, 
so if we have it, we should find out about it, get it treated, and move 
ahead with our lives.
  The argument for having periodic routine mammograms to detect breast 
cancer is similar. Most of the time, the examination is reassuringly 
negative. But if it is positive, and your previous

[[Page 17645]]

routine mammograms were negative, it means that this cancer has been 
detected early on, when it has a high chance of being cured.
  And then there is forgetfulness. I certainly understand how difficult 
it is to remember to do something that only comes around once each 
year. I would suggest that this is where ``National Mammography Day'' 
comes in. This year, National Mammography Day falls on Friday, October 
20, right in the middle of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On 
that day, let's make sure that each woman we know picks a specific date 
on which to get a mammogram each year, a date that she won't forget: a 
child's birthday, an anniversary, perhaps even the day her taxes are 
due. On National Mammography Day, let's ask our loved ones: pick one of 
these dates, fix it in your mind along with a picture of your child, 
your wedding, or another symbol of that date, and promise yourself to 
get a mammogram on that date every year. Do it for yourself and for the 
others that love you and want you to be part of their lives for as long 
as possible.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to join me in the ongoing fight 
against breast cancer by cosponsoring and voting for this resolution to 
designate October 20, 2000, as National Mammography Day.

                          ____________________