Clinton Urges All to Get Cancer Tests

Using his weekly radio address, President Clinton urged Americans to overcome fear of embarrassment and make sure they are tested for the “silent killer”: colorectal cancer. Clinton commented as a crowd gathered in Washington for a march today to heighten public awareness of colorectal cancer. He acknowledged one of the organizers, Katie Couric of NBC’s “Today” show, whose husband died of the disease in 1998. Clinton said the National Cancer Institute will spend $30 million over the next five years on more and better screening procedures for colorectal cancer. He also said the government would launch an initiative to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to get regular checkups and screenings.