National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
By U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe
Four of the most frightening words any woman can hear is “you have breast cancer,” and according to the National Cancer Institute more than 12 percent of women born today will hear that declaration in their lifetime. This year alone, more than 207,000 women will receive a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. While this cancer affects the lives of women and their loved ones year round, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month makes October a platform to emphasize just how vital it is that we focus like a laser to increase awareness about breast cancer, reduce the number of breast cancer cases, and continue to fund research to find a cure once and for all.
Eradicating breast cancer in our lifetime requires our intense focus on a multi-faceted approach involving research as well as treatment and early detection. In Congress, this goal has transcended personal and political differences and as a champion of women’s health throughout my Congressional career, I am proud to report that we have seen remarkable strides in breast cancer research funding. Today, the federal government funds over $800 million each year on breast cancer research compared to $100 million in 1992. While the National Institutes of Health (NIH) may be the most well known source of breast cancer research, for 15 years, I’ve led the fight for pivotal research into breast cancer by the Department of Defense – which is uniquely positioned to draw from a large pool of patients and can obtain crucial information and data that can advance our knowledge of breast cancer.
Early detection is another key weapon in the fight against breast cancer. This past year, I was the lead Republican co-sponsor of two measures aimed at improving early detection and screening that were signed into law. The first was an amendment sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski that improves health insurance benefits for women by guaranteeing access to preventative health screenings and care, including mammograms. The second was an amendment sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar that asks the Centers for Disease Control to conduct a national evidence-based education campaign to increase education and awareness regarding the threats posed by breast cancer in young women.
Finally, we must end arbitrary barriers to quality care wherever and whenever we find them. In April, I joined with my colleague, Sen. Blanche Lincoln, in introducing new legislation that improves the Medicare program and reduces inequities currently facing women who undergo mastectomies for breast cancer.
Today, breasts remain the only body part whose custom fabricated prosthetic replacement is not reimbursed by Medicare. At a time when we are making so much progress for women’s health on so many fronts, this is a glaring omission. Our bill expressly provides that coverage under Medicare, giving mastectomy patients more choices.
All of these strides are ones we can and will build on, but there is still much more to accomplish. The discovery of breakthrough drugs must translate into tangible results that are available not just to the few, but to the many.
We must marshal our resources to fight the disease rather than to haggle over insurance denials. And we must provide scientists with the best possible tools to explore the relationship between breast cancer and the environment.
The Maine Cancer Foundation funds cancer research, education, and patient support in Maine.
For more information please visit www.mainecancer.org.
