WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) today, introduced legislation requesting $45 million to fight breast cancer among young women throughout the country. The legislation is named after Annie Fox, a breast cancer activist from Marin County who died of the disease at the young age of 35; she was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 29.

“We must continue to move forward in finding the cause of the high rate of breast cancer in the North Bay,” said Rep. Woolsey. “An important part of this effort is making sure that younger women have proper diagnosis and treatment to prevent and cure this dreaded disease.”

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death among women ages 15-40, but research into the causes and prevention of this disease among young women is virtually non-existent. Of the approximately 11,000 women under the age of 40 who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, nearly 1,300 will die. At this moment, there are almost 250,000 young women in the United States living with the disease.

“Not only is the cancer that strikes younger women more aggressive, but the effects of cancer treatments can be devastating to their long-term general health, and their fertility” said Rep. Woolsey. “Young women with breast cancer are confronted with many issues that their post-menopausal counterparts don’t face, including: the possibility of early menopause, difficulty becoming pregnant after treatment, generally more advanced cancers at diagnosis, and higher mortality rates.”

“The legislation that I am introducing will authorize $45 million dollars for research to find the causes of breast cancer among younger women, to investigate the long-term effects of cancer therapies on young women, to improve diagnostic tools and techniques, and to increase educational outreach within the medical community and the general public.”

Rep. Woolsey actively supports national and local efforts for research and treatment of breast cancer. In addition to the $45 Million she is requesting for research into the causes of breast cancer and long-term effects of cancer treatment in younger women throughout the nation, Rep. Woolsey and Senator Barbara Boxer have secured $963,000 for the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services Research Study and will be requesting $1 million in FY04 for expanded research and data analysis of causes of breast cancer in the North Bay. In response to Rep. Woolsey’s request, the NIH developed a plan to determine actual breast cancer rates in Marin and other counties based on 2000 census data, define the role of known risk factors and define the role of environmental factors. As part of an ongoing process to find a cause of the high rate of breast cancer in Marin County, Rep. Woolsey supports a Bay Area application for a NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) "Centers of Excellence" to be established to further the understanding of environmental factors related to breast cancer.