From the Office of Senator Kerry

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC – Together with Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, US Rep Bill Delahunt today announced final congressional approval of two funding proposals to strengthen cancer resources in the local area. Jordan Hospital will receive $650,000 for a new specialized treatment center, while the Silent Spring Institute will get $350,000 for research on the environmental links to the incidence of breast cancer.

Massachusetts has one of the highest breast cancer rates in the country – and Cape Cod averages 20 percent above that statewide average. Similarly, the local incidence of bladder, colorectal, lung, prostate, pancreatic and stomach cancers is significantly higher than national norms. “These are urgent priorities, said Delahunt, who started work on the projects a year ago. “This will help save lives in our community.”

“I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to make progress on the Silent Spring Institute’s important research and Jordan Hospital’s cancer treatment center,” Senator Kennedy said. “These are critical investments for our region’s health, and I’m thankful our congressional colleagues recognized their value.” According to Senator Kerry, ““We owe it to the Cape and Islands to figure out why local cancer rates are so much higher than the national average. I am hopeful that this funding will help improve treatment for those coping with the disease, and also, down the road, prevent other people and their families from having to go though the same thing.”

Jordan Hospital

Jordan Hospital is an acute care hospital in Plymouth serving a dozen towns on the Cape and South Shore. The facility is planning to dramatically expand its cancer care center with the federal funding. The new treatment facility will be a cornerstone of a broader hospital expansion during the next ten years, enhancing local access to top quality healthcare.

Expanded chemotherapy and radiation facilities at Jordan will make it easier for patients and their families who prefer not to drive to Boston for treatment – the nearest cancer care facilities are over 30 miles away. In addition to radiation and chemotherapy, Jordan will offer cancer detection, surgical oncology and a wide range of related services. A treatment team guides each patient through a personalized care protocol, and the entire center is geared toward providing convenience and support for local cancer patients. Silent Spring The Silent Spring Institute will use its funding for pioneering studies into the relationship of environmental pollutants and women’s health, especially the impact on breast cancer rates. The Institute’s nationally recognized staff includes top talent in epidemiology, risk assessment, toxicology, chemistry, biology, health communications and geographic databases. In 1994, Silent Spring Institute began a long-term, epidemiologic study on Cape Cod focusing on local women's historical exposures to contaminants in tap water, especially endocrine-disrupting chemicals and chemicals known to cause mammary cancer in animals. Just this month, Silent Spring began notifying Cape area women about the levels of 89 airborne and water contaminants in homes that were tested earlier this summer. Insight into the everyday exposure to toxic pollutants will help clarify links to disease incidence and identify cancer prevention strategies.

The two cancer projects were included as part of the omnibus 2005 appropriations bill finally passed in the last hours of the lame duck congressional session – after months of delay and partisan struggle. “In a year of particularly tight budget constraints, I am delighted to see support for these two outstanding initiatives,” said Delahunt, “it is worth the fight for every dollar when we know that cancer victims are fighting a much bigger battle every day.” -30-