Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-N.Y.) says she can comprehend Stampfer's concern but disagrees with it.

"I can understand that as a microbiologist myself, but when one out of nine women in this country [is] getting breast cancer, it's an pidemic," Slaughter says.

She says she remembers when clinical trials focused disproportionately on men's health concerns in comparison to women's and is convinced Congress must continue working toward equality in research.

"[Before 1990] great strides were being made on prostate cancer, but the diagnosis of ovarian cancer was the diagnosis to die," Slaughter says.

"The Women's Health Office, a division of the NIH which opened in 1990, has made a great impact, but we've still got a long way to go," she says.

Slaughter says she fears what would happen if researchers and policy-makers were to return to the mindset that dominated research and excluded women before the Women's Health Office opened.

"I'm absolutely positive that should that office be done away with, they would do every study on white males," she says. "I'm dedicated as long as I'm here [to make sure] that doesn't happen."

Wanting Answers for the Future

Beckett, D'Alessandro and the thousands of other women who will commit themselves to the WHI also want to make sure that doesn't happen as well.

"Stress the need of this study to provide the doctors with more information," Beckett says. "At the end of it all, it's essentially a woman's decision with insufficient information."

Making her way through the long questionnaire required by the WHI to commit herself to the study, she wishes aloud that scientists will hold more answers in the future about women's health.

"Hopefully, in 10 years...." Beckett says, her voice trailing off. "Now we're guessing."