National Mammography Day, 2004

Proclamation 7832 of October 15, 2004

National Mammography Day, 2004

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Approximately one in seven women in the United States
will develop breast cancer over her lifetime.
Mammograms are critical for early detection of breast
cancer and remain the most effective screening tool
available today. Many women who develop breast cancer
have no history of the disease in their families, and
except for growing older, most have no strong risk
factors. Regular mammogram screening, along with a
clinical breast exam by a medical professional, can
help identify breast cancer in its earliest stages when
it is most treatable. On National Mammography Day, we
underscore the importance of this life-saving
technology.

The National Cancer Institute and the United States
Preventive Services Task Force recommend a mammogram
every 1 to 2 years for women age 40 and over. Strict
guidelines help to ensure that mammograms are
administered with the lowest possible doses of
radiation by the best-trained medical staff. Scientists
continue to study ways to improve mammograms and other
screening technologies, and this research promises to
make screening even more accurate and further reduce
the number of breast cancer deaths.

My Administration is committed to preventing,
detecting, treating, and ultimately finding a cure for
breast cancer. Through an early detection program at
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have
devoted over $200 million for promoting mammography use
and helping low-income women afford screening for
breast and cervical cancer. In addition, the National
Institutes of Health is conducting the largest trial
ever of new, early-detection technologies to help
doctors target breast cancer before symptoms occur.

My Administration will continue working to ensure that
America's women have access to the best screening
services available. I urge women, especially those 40
and over, to talk to their doctors about breast cancer
screening and to encourage their friends and family to
do the same. Together, we can help save lives and build
a healthier future for all our citizens.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim October 15, 2004, as
National Mammography Day. I call on all Americans to
observe this day with appropriate programs and
activities recognizing our health care professionals
and researchers for their contributions in helping to
detect and treat breast cancer.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand four, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.

(Presidential Sig.)B