Media Center

Today, Congressman David Scott issued the following statement in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a disease that is important to my family, breast cancer. This devastating disease strikes 1 in 8 women, affecting our mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, and loved ones. In Georgia, breast cancer is a particularly serious problem as it is the most common type of cancer and the second most deadly type of cancer among women in the state.  According to the nonprofit Sisters by Choice, 6000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 1000 will die from breast cancer in Georgia each year. This epidemic is made worse by the fact that 19 percent of Georgians do not have health insurance, 33 percent of Georgia counties do not have mammography machines, and 75 percent of Georgia counties are medically underserved. Due to slow detection caused by these facts, 30 percent of breast cancers will have metastasized and be present in other places throughout the body by the time they are found.

Despite the disheartening statistics about cancer, I know that there is still hope. Detection and treatment advances found in the past few years will help to both lessen the risk of cancer and win the fight to eradicate cancer. I am pleased that Georgia is a hub for medical innovation in the fight against cancer, utilizing public and private partnerships to research the disease. Moreover, the CDC and the internationally regarded cancer centers at Emory University, Georgia Regents University, the University of Georgia, Northside Hospital, and other centers throughout the state have pioneered effective, yet minimally invasive ways to treat this disease.

Additionally, the CDC has contributed to this effort through public outreach programs aimed at improving surveillance so that cancers can be caught early. In addition, the internationally-renowned Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University has tested 75 percent of FDA-approved new cancer treatments in the past seven years. At another renowned institution, researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered a vaccine that attacks a previously unassailable protein. This vaccine is vitally important because this protein is found in the majority of killing cancers and in the “triple-negative” tumors common in a particularly dangerous variant of breast cancer. 

In addition to the work done by the professional research institutions in Georgia, I am proud that the Georgia community has come together to support those who are suffering from not just breast cancer, but cancers of all types. For instance, Sisters by Choice, a nonprofit organization centered around helping underinsured and underserved women to find and treat breast cancer, is working on creating a mobile clinic that will provide screenings, diagnostic services, access to clinical trials, and other resources to these disadvantaged populations. In addition, wonderful nonprofit organizations working with cancer centers, such as the Cancer Support Community Atlanta and the Treehouse Gang, an organization based around supporting children with a parent suffering from cancer, provide vital assistance and hope to cancer sufferers and their families. Finally, the Atlanta 2-Day Walk has raised $11 million in just 13 years to help find new ways to treat and prevent breast cancer. Through these initiatives, and the hard work of the cancer centers in Georgia, I know that definite progress has been and will continue to be made to treat and eradicate this deadly disease.