LTE: "October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month"
October 22, 2007

Dear Editor:

It was very distressing to read last week in Samoa News that, in the
absence of trained technicians, LBJ has suspended indefinitely its
mammography program. It is particularly ironic that this announcement
comes in October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
While awareness of breast cancer is high nationally, a new survey
released recently by the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC)
reveals potentially critical knowledge gaps among American women and a
sense of urgency about the nature of progress required in the research
and treatment of breast cancer, which is expected to claim the lives
of some 40,000 women in the U.S. this year.

In addition to releasing the survey, NBCC has launched the Breast
Cancer Caucus, calling on the Presidential candidates of both parties
to detail their specific approaches to breast cancer research,
prevention and care as well as outline their plans for universal
health care. The results of the survey give additional impetus to
NBCC's efforts to draw attention to this disease in the political
campaign. For my part, as a delegate to the GOP National Convention
next year, I will be asking these same questions of the candidates and
members of their campaigns who will be seeking support from American
Samoa. I urge the local women Democrats to do the same.

As I mark 15 years in my own survival from cancer, I think back to
1992, when we had no mammogram machine here at all and am proud to
have sparked an effort to obtain one. Now, it seems we have gone back
to square one. No matter how great our equipment might be, we must
have the trained personnel to operate it and I urge LBJ to do all that
it can to remedy this situation as early as it can.

In that regard, I would have liked to have raised the issue of trained
technicians at the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders Health Summit
just held in Washington. Regrettably, I had a long standing commitment
elsewhere and could not attend, but from all indications it was
tremendously successful in building aware of the special needs of
islander communities both on the Mainland and in the islands and I am
sure the issue of training medical technicians was thoroughly aired.
I especially want to congratulate Kawen Young, who chaired the event.
It is great to have a Samoan in the leadership role at such an
important event.

Among the resources materials was the special chapter on Pacific
Islander health disparities that was part of the 2004 report to
President Bush by his Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders. I was pleased to serve on that commission and
successfully argued for a separate chapter so that the special needs
of our communities would not be lost in a sea of Asian concerns.

These are all tiny steps to reach a common goal: to offer our people a
health care system that has parity with what is available to people
anywhere else under the American Flag. We should start by resuming
the mammography program as soon as possible.


Sincerely,

AUMUA AMATA

Amata Coleman Radewagen, Member
President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans
And Pacific Islanders
(2001-2004)