Early Detection is the Key to Beating Breast Cancer

Early Detection is the Key to Beating Breast Cancer
STRAIGHT TALK WITH SAM

July 11, 2005

My family, like many, has had first hand experience with breast cancer; two of my aunts have faced the disease and survived. Too many families face this reality every year. While scientists race to find a cure for the disease, the best thing women can do is to get tested early.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women today. In a woman's lifetime her chance of developing breast cancer is about one in seven according to research. However the early detection of breast cancer increases a patient's chance for survival.

If you look at deaths from these types of diseases, they occur disproportionately among women who are uninsured or underinsured. We know that early detection can save lives.

That is why resources like the Early Detection of Breast Cancer program run by the Centers for Disease Control are so important. It helps low income or uninsured women take part in early detection screening for breast cancer.

To date this program has screened 1.9 million women and has diagnosed thousands of cases of cancer or lesions. Public education and outreach are critical in this area. We provided an increase to 204.4 million for this program in this year's House budget.

Programs like this truly do save lives. In fact the death rates among women with breast cancer are actually declining. While we have not come up with a cure for any type of cancer yet, we do know that early detection is the key to beating breast cancer.

http://www.house.gov/graves/straighttalk/2005issue28.htm