Proclamation 6831

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

Our Nation can take pride in the progress we have made in the war against breast cancer. Many patients who would have confronted prolonged suffering and tragic death just a few years ago can now weigh options for treatment and face the future with excellent chances for recovery. My Administration has made a strong commitment to ending breast cancer's threat to the health of American women, significantly increasing funding for research, launching a campaign to encourage older women to take advantage of the mammography covered by Medicare, and creating a National Action Plan on Breast Cancer. This initiative unites the Federal Government, advocacy groups, health professionals, and private industries in a dynamic partnership to develop new strategies for prevention and care.

Yet even as we celebrate these gains, we must remember that millions of American women still fight this terrible disease, and tens of thousands die each year as a result of its devastating effects. Every three minutes another woman is diagnosed, and breast cancer claims some 120 precious lives daily. It is the most common form of cancer among women in this country and the leading cause of cancer death for those aged 30 to 54. And all women-our mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends-face the same stark statistics.

If we are to protect our citizens and honor the memories of the brave women who, like my mother, lost their lives to breast cancer, we must rededicate ourselves to the final eradication of the illness. Although there is no known cure, early detection and advances in medical technology remain our best weapons. By doing routine self-examinations, undergoing regular mammograms, and keeping a schedule of preventive medical care, women can detect breast tumors early and dramatically reduce the spread of cancer. This month and throughout the year, let us work to increase awareness of these lifesaving therapies and renew our commitment to developing new means of prevention.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, 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 1995 as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I urge the people of the United States to learn more about breast cancer and the resources we have-including examinations, mammography, good nutrition, and exercise-that may prevent its occurrence and minimize its spread. During this month, I call upon every citizen to extend special compassion to those who still struggle against the disease and to the many who have lost loved ones. Join us in the fight to end breast cancer.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:41 a.m., October 6, 1995]