Expressing support for the designation of an Early Detection Month for breast cancer and all forms of cancer.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 158) expressing support for the designation of an Early Detection Month for breast cancer and all forms of cancer, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

On behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present House Concurrent Resolution 158 for consideration. This resolution expresses support for the designation of an Early Detection Month for breast cancer and all forms of cancer.

House Concurrent Resolution 158 was introduced by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), on June 25, 2009, and was favorably reported out of the House Oversight Committee by voice

vote on December 12, 2009. In addition, the legislation enjoys the support of more than 50 Members of Congress.

In recognition of Mr. Etheridge's sponsorship, I would like to recognize him and yield him such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to associate myself with the remarks of the gentlemen from Illinois and North Carolina, and I want to drill down some of the numbers that have been offered by the American Cancer Society.

They report that in 2009, 1.5 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States alone. In addition, the American Cancer Society notes that roughly one out of every two American men and one out of every three American women will have some type of cancer at some point in their lifetime. They also report that the most common types of cancer in the United States are nonmelanoma skin cancer, breast cancer in women, and prostate cancer in men. One out of every eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer, and about one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Furthermore, the American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009, more than 560,000 Americans died of cancer. In other words, more than 1,500 people lost their lives to cancer every day last year. The American Cancer Society also notes that cancer accounts for nearly one out of every four deaths in the United States, which makes cancer the second most common cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease.

Now, despite these troubling statistics, with early detection and proper management, cancer can be highly treatable. As noted by the American Cancer Society, the 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers diagnosed between 1996 and 2004 is about 66 percent, up from 50 percent in 1975 to 1977. The 5-year relative survival for female breast cancer has improved from 63 percent in the early 1960s to 89 percent today. Additionally, over the past 25 years, the 5-year survival rate for prostate cancer has increased from 69 percent to almost 99 percent.

Now, cancer can strike any individual regardless of gender, race, or age; but still, it is important to note that the risk of being diagnosed with cancer increases with age. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, 77 percent of all cancers are diagnosed in persons 55 years and older.

Mr. Speaker, greater awareness of the critical necessity of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and all other cancers will save tens of thousands of lives, and may also help decrease the financial strain on government and private health care services by detecting cancer before it requires costly medical treatment.

Accordingly, let us take this opportunity through passage of H. Con. Res. 158 to increase public awareness of breast cancer and all forms and types of cancer and encourage all Americans to work with their doctors in order to maximize the possibility of early detection.

I urge my colleagues to join Mr. Etheridge in supporting House Concurrent Resolution 158.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again I encourage my friends on both sides of the aisle to join Mr. Etheridge in supporting the designation of an Early Detection Month for breast cancer and all forms of cancers through the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 158.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. President, I rise in support of Senate passage of H. Con. Res. 158, the House companion to a resolution I introduced last August to highlight greater awareness of breast and other cancers by designating an early cancer detection month. This House resolution is sponsored by my good friend and colleague from North Carolina, Congressman Bob Etheridge.

Almost every person has been touched by cancer, either personally or through a family member or friend who has suffered from some form of the disease. Sadly, every year, more than 2 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in the United States.

The most common forms of cancer diagnosed in Americans are skin cancer, breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, lung cancer, and colorectal cancers. And it is estimated that in 2009, over half a million Americans died from all types of cancer.

Last year, in North Carolina, there were an estimated 42,270 new cases of cancer and more than 18,000 deaths due to cancer. Of those lost, 1,300 deaths were from breast cancer in women and 860 deaths from prostate cancer.

Current cancer treatments include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy; however, there is no cure. Many oncologists and breast cancer researchers believe that a cure for breast cancer will not be discovered until well into the future.

However, we cannot sit idly by while we wait for a cure. Instead, we must continue to support organizations, health care providers, and even our friends who work so hard to raise awareness about cancer, particularly cancer prevention and early detection. Fortunately, many forms of cancer can be prevented altogether, such as skin cancer and lung cancer. In addition, at least half of all new cancer cases can be prevented or detected earlier by screening, and if detected early enough, more than 75 percent of all people could be saved when cancer is most treatable.

For breast cancer, early detection has been proven to reduce mortality. This is encouraging, due to the fact that 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

In 2008 alone, the overall cost of cancer in the United States was estimated at $228.1 billion. Greater awareness and early detection of all cancers will not only save tens of thousands of lives, but also greatly reduce the financial strain on the government and private health care services by detecting cancer before it requires very expensive treatment.

Cancer has taken an enormous toll on our society's health and economy. But this disease, in all its forms, is often detectible at early stages. By designating a month to focus on early detection for breast cancer and all other forms of cancer, we will address some of the principle challenges that inhibit screening and prolong detection. Enhanced awareness and screening are the keys to reducing morbidity and mortality from cancer and reducing the financial and emotional stress that this disease places on Americans.

I want to thank Senator Richard Durbin for joining me in cosponsoring the Senate resolution. I also would like to thank Representative Etheridge for sponsoring the House companion, which passed on January 21. I am extremely pleased that both Chambers have been supportive of this issue and that the Senate is adopting this concurrent resolution today.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that probably everybody in the House and in the Senate has someone that they know or knew that had breast cancer or another form of cancer.

My first wife, Barbara, died about 8 years ago from cancer. I will never forget the day she felt a lump in her breast. She thought it was a fibrous tissue. She had them before, and she didn't want to go have herself tested. I said, I want you to go to the doctor and have him look at that. She did, and she called me a couple of days later when I was out here in Washington and she started crying and said, I've got breast cancer. Of course, I went back home and we went to the doctor and went through all of the things that you have to go through, including the chemotherapy. For any family that has gone through that, they know how very difficult it is. Had she had a mammogram earlier, she might not have had the breast cancer metastasize and go to other parts of her body. She ultimately passed way. It was a tragic thing to watch that.

That is why this bill, although it may sound like just a resolution, is very, very important. One of the things in the health care negotiations that has concerned me a great deal is that there was some talk about limiting mammograms to people 50 and above, and the people between 40 and 50 might not be included in getting mammograms and having coverage for that, either under the health plan or insurance plans.

I want to read you a letter from a young lady from my district in Noblesville, Indiana, Tonya Lewis. Here is what she says: ``I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in May of 2008 at age 39. I found this lump myself. I had a baseline mammogram at age 35. It came back clear. I was advised not to have another mammogram until age 40. The radiologist that read my mammogram at age 39 advised me that if I would have had a mammogram at age 36, 37, or 38, most likely I would not have had to have a mastectomy and 14 lymph nodes removed. My cancer spread to my lungs and chest wall after doing chemo and radiation. After completing nine different types of chemo, as of November 24, 2009, I am finally cancer free. Please fight for us breast cancer survivors and the young women in the future. I believe mammograms should be available and paid for by insurance companies at any age.''

When we talk about limiting breast cancer screening to people 50 and above, I think we make a mistake because breast cancer does kill. One in every eight women is going to get breast cancer in their lifetime and it is going to affect families across this country. I think we ought to make sure that we don't start limiting mammograms to only people 50 and above. It has been 40 and above for some time. In this particular case it wouldn't have helped her because she was in her thirties when she developed breast cancer. It is a very, very serious thing, and unless somebody has lived with it, they don't understand how horrible it is to watch somebody pass away going through the travails of cancer.

So I want to congratulate my colleagues on sponsoring this bill, and I hope in the negotiations on the health care bill, regardless of how it comes out, we make sure that we take care of the women who are suffering from these things and catch it before it becomes terminal.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support designating an Early Detection Month for Breast Cancer and All Forms of Cancer (H. Con. Res. 158). As a cancer survivor myself, I stand here as proof that early detection can save lives.

While the search for a cancer cure continues, much progress has been made in the areas of prevention, detection and treatment of cancers. However, there are still over 2 million new cases of cancer diagnosed each year.

The statistics are alarming: Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers affecting women, and prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men. Only non-melanoma skin cancer remains more common for men and women overall. Right now, it is estimated that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Sadly, thousands of West Virginia women faced breast cancer diagnosis in 2009 alone. Yet each year, more women survive their battle with breast cancer due to medical advances in early detection and treatment. Medical researchers, including those at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia, are working hard to improve those figures--but early detection remains an important key to saving lives, which is why I strongly support this effort to designate an Early Detection Month to bring attention and focus to this critical issue.

The steady decline in deaths resulting from breast cancer can be attributed to an increase in the number of women who receive mammograms and the development of powerful new drugs that successfully treat cancer.

As many of you are aware, in 2006 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and subsequently underwent surgery. I am very thankful for all of the West Virginians who contacted me, offering their prayers and support as I prepared for my procedures, through my recovery, and up to this day. I am also truly grateful to the doctors who were able to diagnose my cancer early and--with immediate treatment, they improved my chances for survival.

Cancer screening is often quick and easy and many testing measures can be performed in a local doctor's office. So many lives can be saved and so many families spared a tragic heartache of dealing with cancer diagnosis. That is why I support H. Con. Res. 158 and the efforts to encourage early detection since the bottom line with cancer is raising awareness and early detection saves lives.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 158, which expresses support for the designation of an Early Detection Month for breast cancer and all forms of cancers. Each year in the United States, there are over 1.4 million new cases of cancer, and hundreds of thousands of Americans die from this dreaded disease. Most of us know a family member, a friend, or a colleague who has been diagnosed with cancer and who has died from a struggle with cancer. Inevitably, cancer will affect every one of us in some way.

While early detection of cancer does not make every case treatable, early detection can dramatically increase the chance of survival. The American Cancer Society reports that the rate of death from breast cancer has been declining since 1990 largely because of the increased rate of early detection.

The American Cancer Society has similar conclusions for the declining mortality rate among men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Early detection is essential to helping to treat cancer and save thousands of lives every year.

Unfortunately, despite the benefits of early detection, many Americans do not get the yearly examinations from their doctors that could detect various forms of cancers. The American Cancer Society reports that only 51 percent of all women 40 years and older had a mammogram in the last year. Less than half of all men age 50 and older were screened for prostate cancer in the last year. Nearly half of all Americans who are in the age groups most vulnerable for these types of cancers are not getting the early detection tests that could save their lives.

Mr. Speaker, we need to encourage more Americans to get early cancer detection tests such as mammograms and prostate screenings. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this resolution which will create an Early Detection Month and raise public awareness of early detection of cancer to encourage more Americans to get lifesaving, early detection tests.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak in support of this, Mr. Speaker.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of House Concurrent Resolution 158, and I yield back the balance of my time.