Senate Passes Ovarian Cancer Resolution

On August 3, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, a resolution supporting National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (S. Res. 555).

Sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

• Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers;
• Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States;
• More than 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, and more than 15,000 will die from it;
• All women are at risk for ovarian cancer, and 90 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer do not have a family history that puts them at higher risk;
• The Pap test is sensitive and specific to the early detection of cervical cancer, but not to ovarian cancer;
• There is currently no reliable early detection test for ovarian cancer;
• There are factors that are known to reduce the risk for ovarian cancer and that play an important role in the prevention of the disease; and
• Awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer by women and health care providers can lead to a quicker diagnosis.

The resolution recognizes September 2010 as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and notes that “each year, during the month of September, the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and its partner members holds a number of events to increase public awareness of ovarian cancer.”