Thursday January 29, 2009
Cancer Awareness and Prevention
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See also:Cancer research and care is very important and personal to me. In November 1999, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer following a routine physical exam. I was fortunate to undergo successful prostate removal surgery in January 2000. Since my prostate cancer surgery five years ago, I have encouraged the public to be vigilant about their health. This includes regular check-ups and preventative care. I followed my own advice and have had PSA tests and other recommended tests every three to six months since that time. In early 2004, my doctors detected a slight rise in PSA. On the advice of my doctors, I underwent radiation treatment. I have now completed treatment and continue to have regular check-ups.
As a prostate cancer survivor, I know how important it is to help provide Idahoans with information about cancer. Early detection is the key to successfully fighting many forms of cancer. For that reason, beginning in 2001, I began to sponsor the Mike Crapo Health Awareness Booths at regional fairs in Idaho. In partnership with local physicians, labs and other sponsors, the booths provide cancer screening tests and cholesterol checks. This year booths were set up at four regional fairs in Idaho--the Western Idaho Fair in Boise, Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot, Twin Falls County Fair in Filer and the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo in Coeur d'Alene. Since creation of the booths, thousands of individuals have received PSA (prostate specific antigen) tests, mammograms and cholesterol screenings at the fair.
I have heard from numerous Idahoans who credit those tests as saving their lives. Some men have undergone treatment for prostate cancer as a result, while others have adjusted their lifestyles to accommodate high cholesterol readings. I look forward to continuing to work on this important effort.
I have also been a strong supporter of funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As you may know, the NIH is the focal point for federal health research. An agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, it supports more than 50,000 scientists working at 2,000 institutions across the United States and conducts biomedical and behavioral research and research training at its own facilities. NIH consists of twenty-five institutes and centers, each of which focuses on particular diseases or research areas in human health, including cancer. In the past six years, Congress has more than doubled the NIH budget from $13.7 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 to $28 billion in FY 2004, including over $5.4 billion in cancer research funding. Caring for Americans struck by illness or living with disabilities is one of the greatest challenges facing the health profession, insurers and local, state and federal governments.
The burden placed upon cancer patients and their family to pay for the expensive regimen of treatments this disease is heavy. Because more than half of all cancer diagnoses occur in individuals over 64 years old, a large number of cancer patients are dependent financially upon Medicare to provide treatment. Clearly, the Medicare program must assist elderly Americans suffering with cancer to bear the cost of battling this disease. Please rest assured, as cancer research and funding issues are considered in Congress, I will continue to carefully consider the needs of health care professionals and cancer patients in Idaho, and that I remain committed to increasing funding for medical research so we can find cures for deadly diseases and other medical problems.
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