Louise Slaughter: “Today I filed a resolution with 20 of my cosponsors, a bipartisan resolution, connected with colorectal cancer. We have…”

“Today I filed a resolution with 20 of my cosponsors, a bipartisan resolution, connected with colorectal cancer. We have spent a lot of time in the House talking about breast cancer and other forms of cancer and how important it is to be screened, but we have neglected colorectal cancer. Mr. Speaker, in my State of New York, we are ninth in the number of fatalities. We have 55,000 people that die each year from an absolutely curable or preventable disease. We think it is terribly important. We have asked Secretary Shalala of HHS if they will help formulate an educational process for both medical professionals and their patients to make sure Americans are screened for this disease. It is terribly important for women, because women have a feeling that this is a man's disease, but it is an equal-opportunity killer. We have some Members of this House who are recovering from colorectal cancer who are sponsoring this bill, and I invite all my colleagues to join us in what I think is one of the most important health issues facing America. This disease is over 92 percent preventable. No one need die from colorectal cancer. It is up to us to educate.”