Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, the only N.C. member of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced today that the House of Representatives unanimously passed his legislation to support the designation of an ‘Early Detection Month’ for all forms of cancer.
“Cancer is highly treatable, but only if it is found early,” said Etheridge. “I am thankful that my melanoma was caught and treated. By passing legislation to designate public awareness of cancer screenings and early detection we can make sure that all Americans have the chance I had to get treatment and survive. Early detection saves lives and focuses health care on prevention of diseases rather than simply treating them after they have occurred.”
In June 2009, Representative Etheridge introduced H. Con. Res. 158 to support the creation of an Early Detection Month, which is expected to begin in May 2010. The designation of Early Detection Month will enhance public awareness of screening for breast cancer and all forms of cancer by encouraging activities to educate the public about early detection and cancer screening. Early detection of cancer, before it requires expensive medical treatment, saves tens of thousands of lives annually, and also greatly reduces the financial strain on government and private health care services.
Last year, there were 42,270 new cases of cancer in North Carolina. Each year, almost 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer and more than one third of these cases result in death. In fact, cancer is responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths in the country. Cancer survivors and their families know that early detection is critical to obtaining treatment to mitigate the effects of cancer and save lives.
Representative Etheridge is a cancer survivor himself, having been successfully treated for melanoma. He is joined by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) as an original cosponsor of the bill. Representative Wasserman Schultz is a breast cancer survivor and has been a national leader in encouraging women to undertake self-exams on a regular basis.