Proclamation 5781 --
Cancer Control Month, 1988
By
the President of the
A
Proclamation
In
the continuing struggle against cancer, Americans have put their trust in
research; today we can affirm that the public trust has been rewarded. Just a
few years ago, the cancer cell was seen as a deadly, unsolvable mystery. The
mystery is still complex, but today it is considered solvable. We now know a
good deal about what the cancer cell does and how it does it.
We
have begun to see cancer not as a random event, but as an error in the normal
process of growth and development. Researchers have found minute but critical
differences in the genes of normal and cancer cells. They have identified and
isolated oncogenes, which play a role in changing
normal, healthy cells to cancer. And, with every passing day, scientists come
closer to understanding how and when oncogenes ``turn
on'' and transform cells.
In
time, our knowledge of how oncogenes work may help
cure many patients, improve the quality of life for others, stave off
recurrences for still others, and enable us to prevent cancer before it starts.
New
knowledge about cancer prevention and treatment has improved the outlook for
cutting the cancer death rate. With regard to prevention, we now know that type
of diet, exposure to the sun, and use of tobacco can trigger events in the cell
that cause up to 80 percent of all cancers.
We
can reduce our risk of cancer if we take a few sensible steps. Adding fiber and
reducing fat in our diet can significantly cut cancer incidence and mortality;
we should choose more fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals
and cut down on fatty meat, eggs, dairy products, and oils in cooking and
salads. Researchers have shown that overexposure to the sun's rays causes skin cancer; they advise us all to wear
protective clothing and to use sunscreens to reduce the risk of this illness.
The biggest culprit -- responsible for 30 percent of all cancer deaths -- is
smoking and other tobacco use. The scientific evidence linking cigarette
smoking to cancers of the lung and mouth is undeniable. Smoking also
contributes to cancers of the bladder, pancreas, and kidney. The message is
clear: stop smoking or, better yet, don't start.
The
U.S. Public Health Service has found that when people are warned about health
hazards, they tend to change their habits for the better. More and more of our
citizens want information to help protect their health. Of course, the ideal
solution is not to let cancer happen; by modifying the way we live, we can
greatly reduce our chances of developing this disease.
This
year, the American Cancer Society celebrates its 75th anniversary. The work of
the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and other
organizations devoted to cancer research and control has made a difference.
Only a few years ago, it was hard to imagine the tremendous progress we see
today. Survival rates have improved for 7 of the 10 major forms of cancer; more
than 5 million Americans diagnosed with cancer are alive in 1988. Early detection
continues to improve the chances of successful treatment; some 385,000
Americans diagnosed with cancer in 1988 will be alive
5 years from now. Once deadly forms of cancer are now yielding to combined
treatments of surgery, radiation, drugs, and new biological agents, such as
interleukin-2. A diagnosis of breast cancer no longer requires an inevitable
mastectomy. Children with leukemia are being treated successfully and living to
become productive adults.
In
1938, the Congress of the
Now,
Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the
In
Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of March,
in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the
Ronald
Reagan
[Filed with the Office
of the Federal Register,
Note: The proclamation
was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on March 29.