I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1984 

To provide for research and education with respect to triple-negative breast 

cancer, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2017 

Ms. JACKSON LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To provide for research and education with respect to triplenegative breast cancer, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Triple-Negative Breast 

5 Cancer Research and Education Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 

8 (1) Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 4 cancer di9 agnoses among women in this country. 


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1 (2) The survival rate for breast cancer has in2 creased to 90 percent for White women and 78 per3 cent for African-American women. 

4 (3) African-American women are more likely to 

5 be diagnosed with larger tumors and more advanced 

6 stages of breast cancer despite a lower incidence 

7 rate. 

8 (4) Early detection for breast cancer increases 

9 survival rates for breast cancer, as evidenced by a 5- 

10 year relative survival rate of 98 percent for breast 

11 cancers that are discovered before the cancer 

12 spreads beyond the breast, compared to 23 percent 

13 for stage IV breast cancers. 

14 (5) Triple-negative breast cancer is a term used 

15 to describe breast cancers whose cells do not have 

16 estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors, and 

17 do not have an excess of the HER2 protein on their 

18 sources. 

19 (6) It is estimated that between 10 and 20 per20 cent of female breast cancer patients are diagnosed 

21 with triple-negative breast cancer, and studies indi22 cate the prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer is 

23 much higher. 


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1 (7) Triple-negative breast cancer most com2 monly affects African-American women, followed by 

3 Hispanic women. 

4 (8) Triple-negative breast cancer is a very ag5 gressive form of cancer which affects women under 

6 the age of 50 across all racial and socioeconomic 

7 backgrounds. 

8 (9) African-American women are 3 times more 

9 likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer than 

10 White women. 

11 (10) Triple-negative breast cancer tends to 

12 grow and spread more quickly than most other types 

13 of breast cancer. 

14 (11) Like other forms of breast cancer, triple15 negative breast cancer is treated with surgery, radi16 ation therapy, or chemotherapy. 

17 (12) Early-stage detection of triple-negative 

18 breast cancer is the key to survival because the 

19 tumor cells lack certain receptors, and neither hor20 mone therapy nor drugs that target these receptors 

21 are effective against these cancers; therefore, early 

22 detection and education is vital. 

23 (13) Current research and available data do not 

24 provide adequate information on— 


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1 (A) the rates of prevalence and incidence 

2 of triple-negative breast cancer in African3 American, Hispanic, and other minority women; 

4 (B) the costs associated with treating tri5 ple-negative breast cancer; and 

6 (C) the methods by which triple-negative 

7 breast cancer may be prevented or cured in 

8 these women. 

9 SEC. 3. RESEARCH WITH RESPECT TO TRIPLE-NEGATIVE 

10 BREAST CANCER. 

11 (a) RESEARCH.—The Director of the National Insti12 tutes of Health (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Direc13 tor of NIH’’) shall expand, intensify, and coordinate pro14 grams for the conduct and support of research with re15 spect to triple-negative breast cancer. 

16 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Director of NIH shall 

17 carry out this section through the appropriate institutes, 

18 offices, and centers of the National Institutes of Health, 

19 including the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute 

20 of Child Health and Human Development, the National 

21 Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Office of 

22 Research on Women’s Health, and the National Institute 

23 on Minority Health and Health Disparities. 

24 (c) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Director of 

25 the Office of Research on Women’s Health shall coordiVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:04 Apr 13, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1984.IH H1984

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1 nate activities under this section among the institutes, of2 fices, and centers of the National Institutes of Health. 

3 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

4 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

5 to be appropriated $500,000 for each of the fiscal years 

6 2018 through 2020. 

7 SEC. 4. EDUCATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION 

8 WITH RESPECT TO TRIPLE-NEGATIVE 

9 BREAST CANCER. 

10 (a) TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER PUBLIC

11 EDUCATION PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and 

12 Human Services, acting through the Director of the Cen13 ters for Disease Control and Prevention, shall develop and 

14 disseminate to the public information regarding triple-neg15 ative breast cancer, including information on— 

16 (1) the incidence and prevalence of triple-nega17 tive breast cancer among women; 

18 (2) the elevated risk for minority women to de19 velop triple-negative breast cancer; and 

20 (3) the availability, as medically appropriate, of 

21 a range of treatment options for symptomatic triple22 negative breast cancer. 

23 (b) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec24 retary may disseminate information under subsection (a) 

25 directly or through arrangements with nonprofit organizaVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:04 Apr 13, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1984.IH H1984

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1 tions, consumer groups, institutions of higher education, 

2 Federal, State, or local agencies, or the media. 

3 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

4 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

5 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 

6 each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2020. 

7 SEC. 5. INFORMATION TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH 

8 RESPECT TO TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CAN9 CER. 

10 (a) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec11 retary of Health and Human Services, acting through the 

12 Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Ad13 ministration, shall develop and disseminate to health care 

14 providers information on triple-negative breast cancer for 

15 the purpose of ensuring that health care providers remain 

16 informed about current information on triple-negative 

17 breast cancer. Such information shall include the elevated 

18 risk for minority women to develop triple-negative breast 

19 cancer and the range of available options for the treatment 

20 of symptomatic triple-negative breast cancer. 

21 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

22 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 

23 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 

24 each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022. 


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1 SEC. 6. DEFINITION. 

2 In this Act, the term ‘‘minority women’’ means 

3 women who are members of a racial and ethnic minority 

4 group, as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health 

5 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)). 

Æ 


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