For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 15, 2004
National Mammography Day, 2004
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Approximately one in seven women in the United States will develop
breast cancer over her lifetime. Mammograms are critical for early
detection of breast cancer and remain the most effective screening tool
available today. Many women who develop breast cancer have no history
of the disease in their families, and except for growing older, most
have no strong risk factors. Regular mammogram screening, along with a
clinical breast exam by a medical professional, can help identify
breast cancer in its earliest stages when it is most treatable. On
National Mammography Day, we underscore the importance of this
life-saving technology.
The National Cancer Institute and the United States Preventive
Services Task Force recommend a mammogram every 1 to 2 years for women
age 40 and over. Strict guidelines help to ensure that mammograms are
administered with the lowest possible doses of radiation by the
best-trained medical staff. Scientists continue to study ways to
improve mammograms and other screening technologies, and this research
promises to make screening even more accurate and further reduce the
number of breast cancer deaths.
My Administration is committed to preventing, detecting, treating,
and ultimately finding a cure for breast cancer. Through an early
detection program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we
have devoted over $200 million for promoting mammography use and
helping low-income women afford screening for breast and cervical
cancer. In addition, the National Institutes of Health is conducting
the largest trial ever of new, early-detection technologies to help
doctors target breast cancer before symptoms occur.
My Administration will continue working to ensure that America's
women have access to the best screening services available. I urge
women, especially those 40 and over, to talk to their doctors about
breast cancer screening and to encourage their friends and family to do
the same. Together, we can help save lives and build a healthier
future for all our citizens.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 15, 2004, as
National Mammography Day. I call on all Americans to observe this day
with appropriate programs and activities recognizing our health care
professionals and researchers for their contributions in helping to
detect and treat breast cancer.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day
of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-ninth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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