Terri Hudkins
Headquarters, Washington, DC                                                        
October 1, 1998
(Phone:  202/358-1977)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N98-62

NASA CONTRIBUTES TECHNOLOGY TO WAR AGAINST CANCER

     In observance of October as Breast Cancer Awareness 
Month, NASA will release information on new ways aerospace 
research and technology is helping in the understanding, 
detection and treatment of all types of cancer.  

     A NASA fact sheet available on the Internet highlights 
diagnostic technology currently available and features NASA 
research and technology that may improve cancer diagnosis, 
surgical procedures and drug therapies in the future.  The 
website address is:  http://www.nasa.gov/women/welcome.html

     Five critical cancer experiments will be conducted on 
the upcoming Space Shuttle mission, STS-95, currently 
targeted for launch on Oct. 29.  A fact sheet describing 
these experiments will be available closer to launch.

     Cancer is the second leading cause of death for 
Americans.  According to the National Cancer Society, 564,800 
Americans are expected to die of the disease this year -- 
more than 1,500 people a day.   Men have a one in two 
lifetime risk of developing cancer and for women the risk is 
one in three.  The National Cancer Institute estimates 
overall annual costs for cancer at $107 billion.

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