Rep. Fossella Unveils Federal Initiatives in Response to High Breast Cancer Rates on Staten Island & Brooklyn

Rep. Fossella Unveils Federal Initiatives in Response to High Breast Cancer Rates on Staten Island & Brooklyn
August 3, 2005

Fossella Unveils Initiatives to Expand Research & Increase Funding to Fight Disease

[Washington, DC] - Responding to elevated rates of breast cancer on Staten Island and in Brooklyn, Congressman Vito Fossella (R-NY13) today unveiled a series of initiatives to expand research and increasing funding to fight the disease.

According to a New York State Department of Health (DOH) study, Staten Island was essentially tied with Manhattan for the most incidences of breast cancer in 2002, 124.7 per 100,000 vs. 124.8 per 100,000. However, Staten Island led the City with a mortality rate of 28.1 per 100,000 followed by Manhattan (26.1), Bronx (25.4), Brooklyn (25.3) and Queens (22.5). The DOH's Cancer Surveillance Improvement Initiative also pinpointed southeastern Staten Island as having elevated incidences of breast cancer. In Brooklyn, an American Cancer Society report issued earlier this year revealed that breast cancer accounted for more than 10% (171 out of 1,106) of new cases of cancer in Bay Ridge in 2004.

Fossella announced today that he is cosponsoring legislation, The Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 2231), that would direct $30 million over five years for a large-scale study into the possible link between environmental factors and the development of breast cancer. The bipartisan legislation authorizes the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to establish and operate up to eight multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary research centers to study the impact of environmental triggers on breast cancer.

Previous studies have explored the link between the environment and the disease, but the issue of what causes breast cancer and the association between the environment and breast cancer have not been examined.
Fossella said, "For all the research into breast cancer, still very little is known about what role the environment may play in the disease. The high rates of breast cancer in Bay Ridge may be due to a range of factors, but we must explore all possibilities, including environmental factors. This legislation will produce groundbreaking research that will allow us to better understand what causes breast cancer and new ways to prevent or fight the disease. With a new case of breast cancer being diagnosed every two minutes and a woman dying from the disease every 13 minutes, we must act immediately to learn new ways to prevent, treat and cure breast cancer."

Fossella also announced that he recently voted to direct $110 million in federal funding to the Department of Defense's Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP), which is one of the most influential, innovative and groundbreaking cancer research programs in the world.

The program was founded in 1992 and almost immediately emerged as a leader in the cancer research community for its efficiency and effectiveness. Roughly 90% of appropriated funds go directly to competitive research grants, which have helped lead to the development of new drugs to treat breast cancer, an expanded knowledge of the disease and improved treatment methods.

Fossella said, "This research program is one of the finest in the world and has already produced information to help women who are fighting breast cancer. As researchers and physicians learn more about the disease, they are better equipped to develop new treatments and even a cure. Millions of women across the country have already benefited from the work of this research program, making it essential that it receives the necessary funding to continue making advancements in fighting the disease."

In Fiscal Year 2005, Fossella also helped appropriate $715.6 million to the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute for breast cancer research. Fossella also helped provide $210 million in Fiscal Year 2004 to the Centers for Disease Control's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which provides both screening and diagnostic services, including clinical breast examinations, mammograms, pap tests, surgical consultation and diagnostic testing for women whose screening outcome is abnormal.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American women and the leading cause of cancer death for women worldwide. Approximately 3 million women in the United States are living with breast cancer (of which 2 million have been diagnosed and an estimated 1 million who do not yet know that they have the disease.) It is estimated that 269,730 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States this year, and 40,000 American women will die of this disease.

The Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 2231) enjoys the bipartisan support of 113 Members of Congress. It was introduced by Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY18) and is currently before the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny13_fossella/050803_breastcancer.html