Section 18791 Of Article 8. Designations To The California Breast Cancer Research Fund From California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 10.2. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 8.
18791
. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Breast cancer is a devastating health condition which will
affect one out of nine American women during their lifetimes. Every
three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and every 12
minutes a woman dies of breast cancer. In 1992, 182,000 women in the
United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 46,300 will
die from the disease. In 1992, nearly 19,000 California women will be
diagnosed with breast cancer and 7,000 will die from the disease.
Periodic mammography screening has reduced breast cancer mortality by
almost 50 percent. Nearly 15 percent of early tumors are not
detected on mammograms. Thirty percent of all tumors found on
mammograms are missed due to poorly performed or misinterpreted
tests. The direct and indirect costs concerning a breast cancer
diagnosis exact a huge economic toll of eight billion dollars
($8,000,000,000) a year, with the impact on the health system, the
loss of worktime, the loss of women employees and lives lost to a
disease that bankrupts families emotionally and economically.
(b) There is no known cause, cure, or prevention at this time for
breast cancer. Women are encouraged to screen themselves and be
screened for breast cancer. According to some studies early detection
through mammography reduces the rate of death from breast cancer by
30 to 50 percent. The state of breast cancer screening must be
continually improved to identify breast tumors. Current techniques
for breast cancer screening include mammography, both film screen and
xerography, and ultrasound.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article,
to establish a systematic program to conduct research regarding the
cause, cure, and prevention of breast cancer. The outcome of this
research may have direct effects and consequences on the development
of a comprehensive system which may identify the cause, cure, and
prevention of breast cancer as well as improving the screening,
diagnoses and treatment of victims of breast cancer. This program
shall award grants to eligible physicians, hospitals, laboratories,
educational institutions, and other organizations and persons for the
purpose of enabling organizations and persons to conduct research.