Lincoln Chafee: “I would like to remind the Senate that October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but also the first anniversary…”

“I would like to remind the Senate that October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but also the first anniversary of the enactment of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act. As we take time this month to remember all those who've lost their lives to this tragic disease, we must also celebrate the great strides we've made in diagnosing and treating breast cancer in women from all walks of life. As many of us remember, the Centers for Disease Control has long operated a program to provide low-income uninsured women with coverage for cancer screening. Since its creation in 1990, the CDC's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program has proved a great success, providing over one million mammograms to women 40 years or older through March 1999. Of these, over 77,000 were found to be abnormal and 5,830 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed. Additionally, through March 1997, 300 cases of invasive cervical cancer were discovered in over 700,000 pap tests. Despite this high rate of success, the Early Detection Program contained a fatal flaw. The CDC program provided no treatment options for low-income, uninsured women who tested positive for breast or cervical cancer. Instead of receiving the help they needed, the women diagnosed with cancer under this program were left to find treatment for themselves. Unfortunately, early detection is pointless unless it is followed by immediate and vigorous treatment.”