[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 40 (Monday, October 9, 1995)]
[Pages 1772-1773]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6831--National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 1995

October 5, 1995

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Our Nation can take pride in the progress we have made in the war 
against breast cancer. Many patients who would have confronted prolonged 
suffering and tragic death just a few years ago can now weigh options 
for treatment and face the future with excellent chances for recovery. 
My Administration has made a strong commitment to ending breast cancer's 
threat to the health of American women, significantly increasing funding 
for research, launching a campaign to encourage older women to take 
advantage of the mammography covered by Medicare, and creating a 
National Action Plan on Breast Cancer. This initiative unites the 
Federal Government, advocacy groups, health professionals, and private 
industries in a dynamic partnership to develop new strategies for 
prevention and care.

[[Page 1773]]

    Yet even as we celebrate these gains, we must remember that millions 
of American women still fight this terrible disease, and tens of 
thousands die each year as a result of its devastating effects. Every 
three minutes another woman is diagnosed, and breast cancer claims some 
120 precious lives daily. It is the most common form of cancer among 
women in this country and the leading cause of cancer death for those 
aged 30 to 54. And all women--our mothers, sisters, daughters, and 
friends--face the same stark statistics.
    If we are to protect our citizens and honor the memories of the 
brave women who, like my mother, lost their lives to breast cancer, we 
must rededicate ourselves to the final eradication of the illness. 
Although there is no known cure, early detection and advances in medical 
technology remain our best weapons. By doing routine self-examinations, 
undergoing regular mammograms, and keeping a schedule of preventive 
medical care, women can detect breast tumors early and dramatically 
reduce the spread of cancer. This month and throughout the year, let us 
work to increase awareness of these lifesaving therapies and renew our 
commitment to developing new means of prevention.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 
1995 as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I urge the people of the 
United States to learn more about breast cancer and the resources we 
have--including examinations, mammography, good nutrition, and 
exercise--that may prevent its occurrence and minimize its spread. 
During this month, I call upon every citizen to extend special 
compassion to those who still struggle against the disease and to the 
many who have lost loved ones. Join us in the fight to end breast 
cancer.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of 
October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twentieth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:41 a.m., October 6, 
1995]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 
10.