National Minority Cancer Awareness Week

Floor Speech

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I would like to express my strong support of National Minority Cancer Awareness Week. This week increases awareness about the effects of cancer in minority communities and is dedicated to emphasizing the importance of early cancer detection.

Today, minorities are more likely to be diagnosed and die from cancer in comparison to the rest of the United States population. According to the American Cancer Society, African American men have a 37 percent higher cancer death rate than white men, and death rates for African American women are about 17 percent higher than rates for white women, despite the fact that African American women have lower cancer incidence rates than white women.

Disparities in breast cancer for minority women are among the most common. Studies have highlighted that African American women are 1.9 times more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast cancer than white women. Hispanic women are 1.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast cancer than white women. It is clear that, although there have been efforts to eliminate disparities in breast cancer related care, substantial disparities remain.

Today, in accordance with National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, I introduce, the Eliminating Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment Act of 2008. This legislation will promote the implementation of standardized health care practices for breast cancer patients and help to eliminate inequities based on race, education, income, and health insurance status.

In order to eliminate unacceptable gaps in treatment quality, it is necessary that we create real incentives and requirements for doctors to provide the best care. All patients should receive the best treatment for their conditions. Quality care should be provided for everyone, not just patients that know to ask for it.

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