[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 21880-21881]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge that 
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
  During this month, a number of public and private agencies, 
organizations, and foundations will increase their efforts to make 
Americans more aware of the impact of this disease, as well as the need 
for early detection and increased resources to search for better 
treatments and ultimately for a cure.
  Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among all 
women, and the leading cause of cancer death among women aged 40 to 55. 
By age 80, women have a 1-in-12 chance of developing the disease. This 
year alone, an estimated 175,000 women and 1,300 men will be diagnosed 
with breast cancer. Of those diagnosed, more than 41,000 women and 400 
men can be expected to die from the disease. 41,000 women, that is 
about 117 per day--117 mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters whose 
lives will be cut short and whose families will be devastated by their 
loss. And, as I noted, the disease can also affect men with no less 
impact on them and their families.
  But many of these deaths can be prevented, through regular screening 
and early detection and treatment. In fact, if detected early through 
self-exams and mammograms, the survival rate for most types of breast 
cancer exceeds 90 percent. And, while the number of breast cancer 
diagnoses continues at an unacceptably high level, the overall survival 
rate is increasing. We are beginning to turn the tide against breast 
cancer.
  Though the phenomenal activities of private groups like the Susan G. 
Komen Foundation, of which I am proud to have been a founding 
supporter, more and more women are getting the message: get smart and 
get screened. Through events like the wildly popular ``Race for the 
Cure,'' the Komen foundation has also raised over $215 million to help 
fund breast cancer research. My friend Nancy Brinker, sister of the 
late Susan G. Komen, has led the group from an idea to a leading force 
in health care that has, without doubt, helped to save and improve 
thousands of women's lives.
  Many other groups and individuals are also helping to further the 
cause. The National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations has worked 
to expand research and public education in this area. The Y-ME National 
Breast Cancer Organization is another group that has been very active 
in supporting those directly and indirectly affected by breast cancer.
  With regard to research, I have worked with my colleagues in the 
Senate, leaders like Senator Mack of Florida and Senator Specter of 
Pennsylvania, to ensure that our Federal commitment to disease 
research, and particularly that for breast cancer, continues to grow.
  We have made remarkable progress. While federally-supported breast 
cancer research was not a large part of our overall federal disease 
research budget even a few years ago, that has changed dramatically in 
recent years. NIH funding alone on breast cancer totaled almost $500 
million last year, and is expected to top $525 million this year. In 
fact, over the last decade, NIH breast cancer research funding has 
increased by 600 percent.
  In addition, I have worked hard as a member of the Defense 
Appropriations Subcommittee to ensure that our breast cancer research 
that is conducted under the auspices of the DOD health research 
infrastructure continues. This contributes an additional $175-plus 
million per year to this cause.
  Most recently, I was proud to have joined forces with my colleague, 
Senator Dianne Feinstein, to extend the issuance of the Postal 
Service's new Breast Cancer Awareness Stamp. To date, over 214 million 
of these stamps have been sold, generating $15.1 million

[[Page 21881]]

for research. The first round of grant announcement using these funds 
was actually just made. These funds will support innovative and 
promising new research opportunities in understanding and treating 
breast cancer.
  These efforts have begun to pay off. Through the development of ever-
more effective diagnostic tools, like digital mammography, and through 
the development of innovative new treatment and preventative drugs, 
like Tamoxifin, we are slowly but surely beginning to get the upper 
hand on this disease.
  But early detection remains the key. That is why the American Cancer 
Society recommendations on screening are so important: women aged 40 
and above should have annual mammograms and clinical breast 
examinations; women aged 20 to 39 should have clinical examinations 
every three years; and all women 20 and over should conduct a breast 
self-examination every month.
  Finally, I would note that the Senate just this week passed the 
Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, a bill that ensures that 
women who do not have health insurance and who are found to have either 
breast or cervical cancer through the Federal Breast and Cervical 
Cancer Early Detection Program, will get the follow-up care they need.
  We have come a long way from the days when former First Lady Betty 
Ford brought breast cancer out into the national discourse, beginning 
the long overdue dialogue and public awareness campaign to save women's 
lives. But we still have much to do to match her courage and to live-up 
to her vision of the day when all women are appropriately screened and 
when we defeat breast cancer once and for all.
  During this month, I urge my colleagues in Congress and all Americans 
to reflect upon this issue, to support research and efforts, and to arm 
themselves with the knowledge they need to respond should the 
unthinkable occur in their lives or in the lives of a loved one. 
Working together, we can and will beat breast cancer.

                          ____________________