[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 746 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 746
Supporting the designation of September 2023 as ``National Ovarian
Cancer Awareness Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 29, 2023
Ms. DeLauro (for herself, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Issa, Ms. Velazquez, Ms.
Crockett, Mrs. Torres of California, and Mrs. Hayes) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight
and Accountability
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the designation of September 2023 as ``National Ovarian
Cancer Awareness Month''.
Whereas ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths of women in
the United States and causes more deaths than any other gynecologic
cancer;
Whereas in the United States, a woman's lifetime risk of being diagnosed with
ovarian cancer is about 1 in 78;
Whereas the American Cancer Society estimates 19,710 cases of ovarian cancer
will be newly diagnosed in 2023 and 13,940 individuals will die from the
disease nationwide;
Whereas the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 46.5 percent and
survival rates vary greatly depending on the stage of diagnosis;
Whereas the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is over 90 percent for
individuals diagnosed in early stages;
Whereas while the mammogram can detect breast cancer and the Pap smear can
detect cervical cancer, there is no reliable early detection test for
ovarian cancer;
Whereas, in June 2007, the first national consensus statement on ovarian cancer
symptoms was developed to provide consistency in describing symptoms to
make it easier for women to learn and remember those symptoms;
Whereas Black women with ovarian cancer are more likely to have late-stage
diagnoses, receive lower quality clinical services, and have lower 5-
year survival rates than non-Black women;
Whereas Black women have a 5-year ovarian cancer mortality rate of 62 percent,
while the 5-year ovarian cancer mortality rate is 54 percent for White
women;
Whereas women of color, low-income women, and women living in rural areas have
more barriers to accessing a standard quality of care and are more
likely to receive care at a facility that has poorer adherence to
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines;
Whereas the proportion of ovarian cancer cases in women serving on active duty
who are less than 45 years of age is substantially greater than in the
general population;
Whereas too many people remain unaware that the symptoms of ovarian cancer often
include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling
full quickly, urinary symptoms, and several other vague symptoms that
are often easily confused with other diseases;
Whereas improved awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer by the pubic and
health care providers can lead to quicker diagnoses and improved
outcomes;
Whereas the lack of an early detection test for ovarian cancer combined with its
vague symptoms mean that approximately 80 percent of cases of ovarian
cancer are detected at an advanced stage;
Whereas issues collecting and reporting data on treatment and outcomes related
to ovarian cancer risk, especially for underserved communities and
marginalized populations, can impede the development of effective
policy;
Whereas all women are at risk for ovarian cancer, but approximately 20 percent
of women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a hereditary
predisposition to ovarian cancer, which places them at even higher risk;
Whereas scientists and physicians have uncovered changes in the BRCA genes that
some women inherit from their parents, which may make those women 30
times more likely to develop ovarian cancer;
Whereas the family history of a woman has been found to play an important role
in accurately assessing her risk of developing ovarian cancer and
medical experts believe that family history should be taken into
consideration during the annual well-woman visit of any woman;
Whereas those women who have a family history of ovarian or breast cancer should
consider genetic testing and counseling to determine whether their risk
of developing a heritable cancer is elevated;
Whereas women who know that they are at high risk of ovarian cancer may
undertake prophylactic measures like an opportunistic salpingectomy to
help reduce the risk of developing this disease;
Whereas guidelines issued by the NCCN and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology
recommend that all individuals diagnosed with ovarian cancer receive
genetic counseling and genetic testing regardless of their family
history;
Whereas studies consistently show that compliance with these guidelines is
alarmingly low, with recently published National Cancer Institute-funded
research finding that in 2013 and 2014, only one-third of ovarian cancer
survivors have undergone such testing;
Whereas, according to a 2016 consensus report by the National Academy of
Medicine, ``there remain surprising gaps in the fundamental knowledge
about and understanding of ovarian cancer'' across all aspects of the
disease;
Whereas ongoing investments in ovarian cancer research and education and
awareness efforts are critical to closing these gaps and improving
survivorship for women with ovarian cancer;
Whereas each year during the month of September, the Ovarian Cancer Research
Alliance and community partner organizations hold a number of events to
increase public awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms; and
Whereas September 2023 should be designated as ``National Ovarian Cancer
Awareness Month'' to increase public awareness of ovarian cancer: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of ``National Ovarian Cancer
Awareness Month''; and
(2) supports the goals and ideals of ``National Ovarian
Cancer Awareness Month''.
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