THE MIAMI HERALD | FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2006

Fund cancer studies

As a survivor of breast cancer, I was outraged to learn that the U.S. Senate recently passed up the opportunity to help women who has breast cancer and those who may become its victims.

For the past six year, activists with the Florida Breast Cancer Coalition Research Foundation have worked diligently to gain support for the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (SB 757). It would allow a comprehensive study at minimum cost to determine if there is a correlation between the environment and breast cancer. It could lead the way to discovering causes and prevention methods.

When Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn objected to part of the legislation and placed a hold on it, Senate leaders prevented it from going forward.

We are pleased that Florida Sen. Bill Nelson is a co-sponsor of this bill and ask him to help enact this potentially life-saving legislation when the senators return from recess. We expect Sen. Mel Martinez to support this legislation as well. The women of Florida deserve such positive action.

- JANE TORRES, President, Florida Breast Cancer Coalition Research Foundation, Miami