Jennifer Dunn: “my amendment will set aside $2 million out of the $293 million authorized for life and microgravity sciences and…”

“my amendment will set aside $2 million out of the $293 million authorized for life and microgravity sciences and applications in this bill for research and for early detection systems for breast and ovarian cancer and other women's issues. Mr. Chairman, because of the unique microgravity environment space provides for research, new and effective approaches to diagnosing and treating breast and ovarian cancer tumors are being investigated in space labs in ways not possible on Earth. The low gravity of space allows cancer cells, actual human cancer cells, to be grown in a 3-dimensional form replicating those to be found in the human body. Developing technology to help eradicate breast cancer is not a new direction for NASA, but one that needs to be spotlighted as a continuing basis. For example, technology that NASA has developed for the Hubbell space telescope is being applied at this time to digital mammography techniques that the National Cancer Institute hopes will lead to better treatments of breast cancer through even earlier detection. Right now, NASA and the National Cancer Institute have identified two technologies that hold promise for direct digital mammography with high resolution and a wide field of view that is necessary for early detection. They are now in the process of testing these diagnostic systems. These advanced sensors and signal processors could boost the resolution of a mammogram and allow physicians to detect cancer soon after its onset.”