Week of October 4, 2004

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
 October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is a good time for us to learn and remind ourselves about the serious facts surrounding this disease and to look ahead to the promising news about breast cancer research.

The widespread impact of breast cancer is staggering. Every year, almost 184,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 44,000 will die from the disease. These are not just faceless women. They are our wives, our mothers, our sisters and our daughters. Breast cancer has become the leading killer of women aged 35-44. 

Breast cancer is not just a war fought by the families directly affected by it. It is every American's war to win. Each year breast cancer costs this country $6 billion in medical costs and lost productivity. When it comes to this disease, no one can afford to take a "that won't happen to me" attitude.

It’s unfortunate, but sometimes our federal government wastes time and money on trivial causes. But if there’s one thing it should be dedicating time towards, it’s searching for cures to deadly diseases – such as breast cancer. I am proud to sit on the House Appropriations Committee which funds breast cancer research.

Cancer research is a national priority. That is why Congress has consistently provided necessary and ample funding to expand breast cancer research through the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health.

The good news is that researchers are making exciting new strides in breast cancer research. Genes responsible for inheritable breast cancer have been isolated. New drugs like tamoxifen lower the risk of developing the disease in high risk women. And scientists are developing a better understanding of the cancer cell itself. We now have the armor and weapons needed for the fight against this disease.

There's still a lot we don't know about breast cancer. But what we do know is that early detection and treatment is essential to winning the war against this terrible disease. The number of women dying each year from breast cancer is declining. The experts tell us that this is a direct reflection of the recent increase in early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Let's keep that trend going. 

I encourage everyone to learn more about breast cancer this month. Through education, research and shear tenacity, we can work together to help the millions of women and their families whose lives are threatened by breast cancer.