Senator Barbara Boxer Introduces Cancer-Related Legislation
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has introduced two bills to improve research on prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. S. 756, the “Prostate Research, Imaging, and Men’s Education Act (PRIME)” provides for prostate cancer imaging research and education. The reintroduced, S.755 Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act is legislation to develop new technologies to detect and fight ovarian cancer. Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA) reintroduced the Act in the House.
The Act would authorize $30 million each year for four years to fund research and development of reliable screening techniques for ovarian cancer. Clinical trials would be authorized to verify research techniques and a panel of experts gathered to evaluate and direct the progress of the work.
Sen. Boxer said, “Early detection is key to helping more women beat this dangerous disease. When ovarian cancer is diagnosed in its early stages, more than 93 percent of women go on to live longer than five years. I am proud to sponsor this bill that makes a commitment to fight ovarian cancer with every possible tool.”
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Advanced Imaging of Prostate
The prostate research bill would carry out a program to expand and intensify research to develop innovative advanced imaging technologies for prostate cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment comparable to state-of-the-art mammography technologies. One million dollars would be authorized for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014. The bill also provides for a national campaign for prostate screening with educational materials that also address the racial disparities in the incidences of prostate cancer and mortality rates with respect to such disease. Grants are authorized under the bill to enable nonprofit private entities to test alternative outreach and education strategies. Finally, there is a provision for research to develop an improved prostate cancer screening blood test using in-vitro detection.
Both bills have been referred to Senate committees.
This information is based on text of legislation and press release from Senator Boxer.
The press release from the Senator’s office can we read at:
press release.
https://web.archive.org/web/20100106130036/http://www.boxer.senate.gov/news/releases/record.cfm?id=310977
We are pleased to see that Senator Boxer has included funding for prostate cancer imaging, but I must make note of the economic disparity that exists between the prostate cancer research funding and the the ovarian cancer funding, what a surprise.
Joel T Nowak MA, MSW
Joel,
This is what happens when men, who are less educated then women in the USA, fail to understand the power of the vote. Women have consistently outvoted men for the last 25 years.
$120 million for the eighth most common female cancer affecting 12.4/100K females in 2005 and killing 8.6/100k.
While prostate cancer affects 142.4/100k males in 2005 killing 24.7/100k. $4 million for the largest cancer of men that is known to micro metastasize into a fatal form early in the disease cycle.
Our only hope is that there are women affected by the loss of the men in their lives and the incredible loss to the economy caused by this disease. Perhaps they will exercise their voting rights on our behalf.
This disease cries out for research into a curative male prostate lumpectomy. Diagnosis is only the start of the issue. Castration both chemical and medical is an insult. But it is the only current method of treatment. Burning (radiation) and cytotoxic (poisonous) chemicals only buy a little time.
Since this disease affects minorities disproportionately with 210.5/100k in 2005 and killed 54.1/100k blacks in 2005. Now is the time to mention this to the current head of the executive branch of the Federal government.
Ref: CDC http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/Table.aspx?Group=3f&Year=2005&Display=n
As a California voter I will let Senator Boxer know of my disappointment on this issue.
Hi
I’m a NZ journalist who’s recovering from a radical prostatectomy and writing about the experience in gory detail on my blog. You might be interested:
http://prostablog.wordpress.com/