Q: What is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?
A: October is designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is the 23rd year of promoting breast cancer awareness in October by providing information and promoting the importance of early detection to save lives. Early detection saved my wife Barbara’s life when she was diagnosed with this horrible disease 21 years ago. Barbara is a survivor, but many women have not been as fortunate. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 180,000 women will be diagnosed this year alone, and 40,480 will die from the disease. Together, Barbara and I work hard to help fight this disease by educating people about the importance of annual exams and early detection. We participate in events like Race for the Cure in Des Moines. I am part of the Senate Cancer Coalition, which was formed to raise awareness, increase dialogue among members of Congress, and educate members of Congress about cancer-related issues. I co-sponsored a resolution that Congress passed on September 30, 2008, designating October 17th as National Mammography Day. This designation helps raise awareness of the need to be proactive and get annual advanced screenings at a certified facility. The message is that women should take steps to protect their health and make yearly mammograms a habit. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a time to remember all those who have been affected by breast cancer.
Q: What is being done for breast cancer research and treatment?
A: Congress provides funding for the National Institutes of Health to accelerate the pace of research and find new ways to care for breast cancer patients. In 2000, I sponsored legislation that became law that extended Medicaid coverage to lower-income, uninsured women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Because of this Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, the federal government provides free breast and cervical cancer screening, as well as treatment, to lower-income women who would not otherwise be Medicaid-eligible but do not have other health insurance. In addition, another bill that I have co-sponsored for many years which finally passed both the House and Senate and is currently awaiting a signature from the president to become law is the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007. This bill provides grants through the National Institutes of Health to public or nonprofit entities for the development and operation of centers to conduct research on environmental factors that may be related to breast cancer. It also establishes a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to develop a strategy for the centers, assist in program evaluations, make recommendations and help spread the information gathered between the centers. I’ll continue my efforts to raise awareness, provide research funding, and lend both public and private support to those who are fighting breast cancer.