[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 40 (Monday, October 9, 2000)]
[Pages 2272-2273]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7346--National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 2000

September 29, 2000

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    As we once again observe National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we 
can be heartened by the progress we have made in the battle against 
breast cancer. Today we have a better under standing of what causes the 
disease, and advances in research are leading to improvements in 
detection and diagnosis and to treatments that are improving patients' 
quality of life and chances of survival.
    Two million Americans today are breast cancer survivors, thanks in 
large part to earlier detection and more effective treatments. 
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
show that nearly 70 percent of women aged 50 and older have had a 
mammogram in the past 2 years, compared with only 27 percent in 1987. 
While these increases were found among women at all income levels, those 
with lower incomes are still less likely to be screened than those at 
higher income levels. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Health 
Care Financing Administration are working together to inform women aged 
65 and older that Medicare coverage is available for mammography 
screenings; and the CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early 
Detection provides free or low-cost mammograms to uninsured, low-income, 
and elderly women. And, to assist the thousands of low-income uninsured 
women whose breast cancer was detected through federally funded 
screening programs, my proposed budget for fiscal 2001 includes a new 
Medicaid option to fund the lifesaving follow-up treatment they need to 
increase their chances of survival.
    Research is one of our most powerful tools in our effort to 
eradicate breast cancer, and I am proud that my Administration has made 
historic increases in funding for biomedical research. A number of 
Federal agencies and programs are adding to our knowledge about the 
disease. The National Toxicology Program (NTP), which is part of the 
National Institute of Environmental Health Services, is studying 
chemical compounds that may cause cancer in humans. Based on data from 
the NTP, agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
Food and Drug Administration are working to reduce human exposure to 
environ mental agents that might increase the risk for breast and other 
cancers. The NCI, through the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project 
and the Triana Community Health Initiative, is exploring the possible 
relationship between different sources of pollution and the incidence of 
breast cancer. Findings from these studies will help researchers and 
health care providers identify women who are at higher risk for breast 
cancer and develop better strategies for preventing the disease.
    The NCI's landmark Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) focused on 
tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen medication that helps reduce the chance that 
women who are at higher risk for breast cancer will develop the disease. 
Building on the success of the BCPT, a current study of tamoxifen and 
raloxifene will determine whether raloxifene is as effective as 
tamoxifen, with fewer side effects. The NCI is also sponsoring clinical 
trials of sentinel node biopsy, a procedure where the surgical removal 
of a small number of lymph nodes can determine whether cancer has spread 
outside of the breast.
    The American people have also played a role in funding research 
through activities such as the purchase of the 40-cent breast cancer 
awareness stamp from the U.S. Postal Service. The sale of this stamp has 
raised millions of dollars for breast cancer research, and, on July 28 
of this year, I was proud to sign legislation authorizing the sale of 
this special stamp for an additional 2 years.
    We are gaining ground in our fight against breast cancer, but we 
cannot become complacent. This year alone, more than 40,000 Americans 
will die from the disease, and an estimated 184,200 new cases will be 
diagnosed. We must continue to raise awareness among our friends, loved 
ones, and fellow citizens about the importance of screening and early 
detection and the need to support new research. By doing so, we will one 
day triumph over this devastating disease and ensure a brighter, 
healthier future for our children.

[[Page 2273]]

    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 
2000 as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I call upon government 
officials, businesses, communities, health care professionals, 
educators, volunteers, and all the people of the United States to 
publicly reaffirm our Nation's strong and continuing commitment to 
controlling and curing breast cancer.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 
day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fifth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 3, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on September 30, and it was published in the Federal Register 
on October 4.