IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 48

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the need

for further studies and accurate guidelines regarding the use of mammograms and other technology to screen women between the ages of 40

and 49 for breast cancer.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 11, 1997

Ms. DUNN (for herself, Mrs. MORELLA, Ms. MOLINARI, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mrs. FOWLER, Ms. RIVERS, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN, Mrs. CARSON, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr. BURTON

of Indiana, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. FOLEY, Mr.

FROST, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. SESSIONS, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. KING, Mrs.

EMERSON, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. GRANGER, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr.

NETHERCUTT, and Mr. RAMSTAD) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the need for further studies and accurate guidelines regarding the use of mammograms and other technology to screen women between the ages of 40 and

49 for breast cancer.

Whereas the National Cancer Institute is the lead Federal

agency for research on the causes, prevention, diagnosis,

and treatment of cancer;
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•HRES 48 IH

Whereas health professionals and consumers throughout the

United States regard the guidelines of the National Cancer Institute as reliable scientific and medical advice;

Whereas it has been proven that routine screening for breast

cancer using mammograms can save the lives of women;

Whereas the National Cancer Institute issued a guideline in

1989 recommending that women between the ages of 40

and 49 have mammograms, but rescinded this guideline

in 1993;

Whereas in 1993, it was difficult to have the same degree of

scientific confidence about the benefit of mammograms

for women between the ages of 40 and 49 as existed for

women between the ages of 50 and 69 due to inherent

limitations in the studies that had been conducted as of

that date;

Whereas in 1993, the American Cancer Society and 21 other

national medical organizations and health and consumer

groups were at variance with the decision of the National

Cancer Institute to rescind the guidelines of the Institute

recommending that women between the ages of 40 and

49 have mammograms;

Whereas the statement of scientific fact on breast cancer

screening issued by the National Cancer Institute on December 3, 1993, caused widespread confusion and concern among women and physicians, eroded confidence in

mammograms, and reinforced barriers and negative attitudes that keep women of all ages from having mammograms;

Whereas in 1995, investigators found a 24 percent lower

death rate among women who received mammograms
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•HRES 48 IH

when they were between the ages of 40 and 49 when the

world’s population-based trials were combined;

Whereas in 1996, Swedish researchers announced the results

of 2 studies which found that a 44 and 36 percent lower

death rate among women who received mammograms between the ages of 40 and 49;

Whereas a number of studies have shown that breast tumors

in women under the age of 50 may grow far more rapidly

than breast tumors in older women, suggesting that annual mammograms are of value to women between the

ages of 40 and 49;

Whereas on January 23, 1997, a panel convened by the National Institutes of Health reviewed these and other compelling studies but decided not to recommend that the

National Cancer Institute reissue its earlier guidelines;

Whereas the Director of the National Cancer Institute and

other major national organizations, including the American Cancer Society, expressed surprise and disappointment with this decision;

Whereas approximately 80 percent of women diagnosed with

breast cancer have no identifiable risk for this disease;

Whereas breast cancer is the single leading cause of death for

women in their forties and fifties, and is a leading cause

of death for women between the ages of 30 and 60; and

Whereas more women between the ages of 40 and 49 will be

diagnosed with breast cancer this year than will women

in their fifties: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—
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1 (1) adequately designed and conducted studies

2 are needed to further determine the benefits of

3 screening women between the ages of 40 and 49 for

4 breast cancer through the use of mammograms and

5 other emerging technologies; and

6 (2) the House of Representatives strongly urges

7 the Advisory Panel for the National Cancer Institute

8 to—

9 (A) consider reissuing the guideline re10 scinded in 1993 recommending mammograms

11 for women between the ages of 40 and 49 when

12 it convenes in February 1997; or

13 (B) direct the public to consider guidelines

14 issued by other organizations regarding the

15 benefits of mammograms for women between

16 the ages of 40 and 49 until there is more defin17 itive data concerning this health issue.

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