[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1984 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1984
To provide for research and education with respect to triple-negative
breast cancer, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 6, 2017
Ms. Jackson Lee introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for research and education with respect to triple-negative
breast cancer, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Research and Education Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 4 cancer diagnoses
among women in this country.
(2) The survival rate for breast cancer has increased to 90
percent for White women and 78 percent for African-American
women.
(3) African-American women are more likely to be diagnosed
with larger tumors and more advanced stages of breast cancer
despite a lower incidence rate.
(4) Early detection for breast cancer increases survival
rates for breast cancer, as evidenced by a 5-year relative
survival rate of 98 percent for breast cancers that are
discovered before the cancer spreads beyond the breast,
compared to 23 percent for stage IV breast cancers.
(5) Triple-negative breast cancer is a term used to
describe breast cancers whose cells do not have estrogen
receptors and progesterone receptors, and do not have an excess
of the HER2 protein on their sources.
(6) It is estimated that between 10 and 20 percent of
female breast cancer patients are diagnosed with triple-
negative breast cancer, and studies indicate the prevalence of
triple-negative breast cancer is much higher.
(7) Triple-negative breast cancer most commonly affects
African-American women, followed by Hispanic women.
(8) Triple-negative breast cancer is a very aggressive form
of cancer which affects women under the age of 50 across all
racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.
(9) African-American women are 3 times more likely to
develop triple-negative breast cancer than White women.
(10) Triple-negative breast cancer tends to grow and spread
more quickly than most other types of breast cancer.
(11) Like other forms of breast cancer, triple-negative
breast cancer is treated with surgery, radiation therapy, or
chemotherapy.
(12) Early-stage detection of triple-negative breast cancer
is the key to survival because the tumor cells lack certain
receptors, and neither hormone therapy nor drugs that target
these receptors are effective against these cancers; therefore,
early detection and education is vital.
(13) Current research and available data do not provide
adequate information on--
(A) the rates of prevalence and incidence of
triple-negative breast cancer in African-American,
Hispanic, and other minority women;
(B) the costs associated with treating triple-
negative breast cancer; and
(C) the methods by which triple-negative breast
cancer may be prevented or cured in these women.
SEC. 3. RESEARCH WITH RESPECT TO TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER.
(a) Research.--The Director of the National Institutes of Health
(in this section referred to as the ``Director of NIH'') shall expand,
intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of
research with respect to triple-negative breast cancer.
(b) Administration.--The Director of NIH shall carry out this
section through the appropriate institutes, offices, and centers of the
National Institutes of Health, including the Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Office of Research on
Women's Health, and the National Institute on Minority Health and
Health Disparities.
(c) Coordination of Activities.--The Director of the Office of
Research on Women's Health shall coordinate activities under this
section among the institutes, offices, and centers of the National
Institutes of Health.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for
each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2020.
SEC. 4. EDUCATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO
TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER.
(a) Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Public Education Program.--The
Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall develop and
disseminate to the public information regarding triple-negative breast
cancer, including information on--
(1) the incidence and prevalence of triple-negative breast
cancer among women;
(2) the elevated risk for minority women to develop triple-
negative breast cancer; and
(3) the availability, as medically appropriate, of a range
of treatment options for symptomatic triple-negative breast
cancer.
(b) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary may disseminate
information under subsection (a) directly or through arrangements with
nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, institutions of higher
education, Federal, State, or local agencies, or the media.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2020.
SEC. 5. INFORMATION TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH RESPECT TO TRIPLE-
NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER.
(a) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary of Health and
Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration, shall develop and disseminate to
health care providers information on triple-negative breast cancer for
the purpose of ensuring that health care providers remain informed
about current information on triple-negative breast cancer. Such
information shall include the elevated risk for minority women to
develop triple-negative breast cancer and the range of available
options for the treatment of symptomatic triple-negative breast cancer.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022.
SEC. 6. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ``minority women'' means women who are
members of a racial and ethnic minority group, as defined in section
1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g)).
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