NBCC: Breast Cancer Caucus

NBCC sent a letter to each Presidential candidate requesting a video response telling us what he or she would do as President to eradicate breast cancer. We also asked for a written response to NBCC's core issues. Below is Joe Biden's response.

On Friday, January 4, 2008, Joe Biden withdrew his name as a presidential candidate.

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the National Breast Cancer Coalition for their hard work and dedication to the fight to end breast cancer. I support all of the NBCC's legislative priorities, and believe that they are essential elements of a multi-faceted approach to combating breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that, in 2006, nearly 213,000 American women were diagnosed with breast cancer and about 41,000 will die of the disease. Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the U.S. While great steps have been made in addressing this ravaging disease, there is still no cure and much work remains to be done. We must have a national strategy to eradicate breast cancer by: guaranteeing access to preventive care and early detection for all women, investing in cutting edge research, and continuing to build awareness. We need a renewed commitment to finding a cure for this disease. We must invest in research that looks at the environmental influences of cancer and the disparities in care that the poor and racial and ethnic minorities face. I have been one of the Senate's leaders in fighting this deadly illness and as President; I would continue to support efforts to stop this deadly disease.

We must support efforts at education, early detection and screening. Patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer earlier have much higher rates of survival. In 1990, I cosponsored the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act, which spearheaded the major federal initiative to promote the early detection of breast cancer. This bill, which established the breast and cervical cancer prevention grant program within the Centers for Disease Control, ensures that mammograms are available to low-income women and women without health insurance. But it is not enough just to screen for cancer, I am committed to ensuring that all of access to care. That is why, in 1999, I cosponsored legislation affording Medicaid eligibility to women diagnosed with cancer by this screening program so that they have a reliable means of obtaining treatment, and signed a letter to President Clinton requesting that funding for this program be included in the budget. This program is essential and I am committed to ensuring its future security and funding.

African Americans are 23% more likely to die from cancer than their white counterparts. Studies showed that in 2002-2003, approximately 4 million women aged 40-64 had no health insurance and had an income that qualified them for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. 528,622 Women, approximately half a million, received a Program-funded mammogram. While this is an accomplishment in itself, this also means that more than 2.3 million women, who qualified for the program, did not receive recommended mammograms. We must change these numbers through education and awareness programs and work to provide better screening and care to these historically underserved low-income and minority populations. We must ensure that everyone has access to quality care which is why I support a move towards universal health care.

We must also invest in innovative research. Much is still unknown about cancer. Less than 30% of breast cancers are explained by known risk factors and much is still unknown about breast cancer. One road of scientific inquiry that we must pursue is how the environment impacts breast cancer. Do the pesticides we use on our lawns increase our risk of developing cancer, or the drinks we consume? While this type of research is painstakingly difficult, as it is difficult to isolate one environmental factor, this type of information would provide valuable information for understanding the causes of cancer as well as be a key part of developing prevention strategies. This is why I have been a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act for the past 4 Congresses and will continue to fight for its passage and enactment.

We must also support programs such as the Department of Defense Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program. The DOD Breast Cancer Research program is an example of the kind of programs that will find a cure for Breast Cancer. It is innovative, successful and has the flexibility to pursue ground-breaking, cutting edge research. I have been a strong supporter of this program for years and have fought for funding in the Senate, urging the appropriations committee for the level of funding that NBCC has sought.

We have made incredible progress fighting breast cancer - but we can't stop until we eliminate it. As President, I will work hard to support programs like those discussed above as well as develop new initiatives so that we can eradicate breast cancer and millions of women can live longer, healthier, and happier lives.