September 25, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 155 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page S5711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 341--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 2019 AS ``NATIONAL OVARIAN 
                        CANCER AWARENESS MONTH''

  Ms. STABENOW (for herself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Brown, and 
Mr. Menendez) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 341

       Whereas ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic 
     cancers;
       Whereas ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer 
     deaths among women in the United States;
       Whereas, in 2019 in the United States, approximately 22,530 
     new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed and 13,980 
     women will die of ovarian cancer;
       Whereas more than \1/2\ of the women diagnosed with ovarian 
     cancer will die within 5 years of that diagnosis;
       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 the lack of an early detection test means that 
     approximately 80 percent of cases of ovarian cancer are 
     detected at an advanced stage;
       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 as much as 35 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 the risk of 
     that woman 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 many experts in health prevention now recommend 
     genetic testing for young women with a family history of 
     breast and ovarian cancer;
       Whereas women who know that they are at high risk of breast 
     and ovarian cancer may undertake prophylactic measures to 
     help reduce the risk of developing those diseases;
       Whereas clinical trials are fundamental to the discovery of 
     new and better therapies in the fight against ovarian cancer 
     and can offer some patients their best hope for treatment;
       Whereas the Society of Gynecologic Oncology recommends that 
     all women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer receive 
     counseling and genetic testing;
       Whereas testing somatic tumors can provide critical 
     information to help effectively treat patients with ovarian 
     cancer;
       Whereas many people are 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 symptoms that are easily confused 
     with other diseases;
       Whereas awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer by 
     women and health care providers can lead to a quicker 
     diagnosis; and
       Whereas, each year during the month of September, the 
     Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and community partners hold 
     hundreds of events to increase public awareness of ovarian 
     cancer: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates September 2019 as ``National Ovarian Cancer 
     Awareness Month''; and
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Ovarian 
     Cancer Awareness Month.

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