Tom Coburn: “every day when I am not here I practice medicine, and 70 percent of my patients are women. There are wonderful things in…”

“every day when I am not here I practice medicine, and 70 percent of my patients are women. There are wonderful things in this bill. However, this bill comes up short, especially in addressing cervical cancer in our country. Mr. Speaker, 43 percent of the young women in this country today are carrying human papilloma virus. That is important. The reason that it is important is because that causes 94 percent of the cancer of the cervix to women in this country. We also have in the bill a complete section on diethylstilbestrol, which has not been used in almost 30 years in this country. The last time it was used in any frequency was in the mid-1960s. The consequence of cancer associated with that drug shows itself before the woman is 30 years of age. So, in fact what we are doing is authorizing a program that is no longer needed with this bill. My concerns, regardless of all the positive things in this bill, are that we should make sure we reach beyond where we have been in the past. And there is no question, breast cancer affects a vast majority. My sister, my sister-in-law both had breast cancer as well as many patients that I diagnose that disease in, and this bill is great in that regard. This bill is great in cardiovascular health risks for women. But it comes up very short in addressing a problem that is going to burgeon and balloon on us. Cervical cancer is going to grow at the rate of 10 or 15 percent per year each year in the future.”