IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 565

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the

importance of mammograms and biopsies in the fight against breast cancer.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 1, 1998

Mr. BASS (for himself, Ms. DUNN, Mr. GINGRICH, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BAKER,

Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. BENTSEN, Mr. BERRY, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mrs. BONO, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. BOYD, Mr. BROWN

of Ohio, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. CAMP, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mrs.

CAPPS, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. CARSON, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr.

CLEMENT, Mr. COBLE, Mr. COBURN, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. COOK, Mr.

COOKSEY, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr.

DELAHUNT, Mr. DIXON, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. EHRLICH, Mrs. EMERSON,

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr.

EWING, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. FAZIO of California, Mr. FILNER, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. FORBES, Mr. FORD, Mrs. FOWLER,

Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr.

GEKAS, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. GORDON, Mr. GOSS, Mr.

GREEN, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. HINCHEY,

Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HOBSON, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. HORN, Mr. HOUGHTON,

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JENKINS, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. KING, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr.

KOLBE, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. LAZIO of New York, Mr.

MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. METCALF, Mr. MICA, Mrs. MYRICK,

Mr. NADLER, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. NEY, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr.

PALLONE, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PORTMAN, Ms.

PRYCE of Ohio, Mr. QUINN, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr.

REDMOND, Mr. RILEY, Mr. ROGAN, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO ́, Ms. ROSLEHTINEN, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. SABO, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SANDERS, Mr.

SANDLIN, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. SHAW, Mr.

SHAYS, Mr. ADAM SMITH of Washington, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey,

Mrs. LINDA SMITH of Washington, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. SOUDER, Mr.

SPENCE, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. TORRES, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. WELLER, Mr.
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WEYGAND, Ms. WOOLSEY, and Mr. YOUNG of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the importance of mammograms and biopsies in the

fight against breast cancer.

Whereas 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime;

Whereas nearly 180,000 American women will be diagnosed

with breast cancer this year, and nearly 44,000 women

will die of the disease;

Whereas breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death

of women between the ages of 40 and 55;

Whereas it is universally recognized that regular mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages, and that mammograms can

detect small breast cancers up to 2 years earlier than

they can be detected through self-examination;

Whereas early detection, including regular mammography

screening with prompt treatment, could result in onethird fewer breast cancer deaths among women over age

50;

Whereas the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute recognize that regular mammograms are

beneficial to women in their forties and recommend that

women begin mammography screening by age 40;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined in 1995 that nearly half of American women
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•HRES 565 IH

age 50 and older, and more than one-third of American

women age 40 to 49, had not received a mammogram in

the previous year;

Whereas annual mammograms are essential in early detection

of breast cancer, and biopsies are the only way to diagnose or rule out breast cancer with certainty;

Whereas it is vital that women have information about breast

biopsy and the biopsy options that are available to them;

Whereas cutting-edge technology in women’s health is creating more options for women; and

Whereas greater awareness of the importance of mammograms leads to more mammograms and biopsies: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) all American women should take an active

4 role in the fight against breast cancer by all the

5 means that are available to them, including self-ex6 amination, physician examination, and regular mam7 mograms;

8 (2) the role played by community organizations

9 and health care providers in promoting awareness of

10 the importance of regular mammograms and of bi11 opsy options and in helping to expand the availabil12 ity of low-cost mammograms and biopsies should be

13 recognized and applauded; and
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•HRES 565 IH

1 (3) the Federal Government has a responsibility

2 to—

3 (A) endeavor to raise awareness about the

4 importance of the early detection (through

5 mammography and biopsy) and prompt treat6 ment of breast cancer;

7 (B) continue to fund research so that the

8 causes of and a cure for breast cancer may be

9 discovered; and

10 (C) continue to make mammograms and

11 biopsies more widely available to women over

12 40.

Æ