109 HRES 444 IH: Gynecological Resolution for Advancement of Ovarian Cancer Education U.S. House of Representatives 2005-09-15 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 109th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 444 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 15, 2005 Mr. Hall (for himself, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Ms. Harris, Mr. Issa, Mr. Levin, Ms. Granger, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Waxman, and Mr. Dingell) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Gynecological Resolution for Advancement of Ovarian Cancer Education.

2.

Findings

The Congress finds that— (1)ovarian cancer is a serious and under-recognized threat to women’s health; (2)ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women living in the United States; (3)ovarian cancer is very treatable when it is detected early, but the vast majority of cases are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries; (4)only 19 percent of ovarian cancer cases in the United States are diagnosed in the early stages; (5)in cases where ovarian cancer is detected before it has spread beyond the ovaries, more than 94 percent of women will survive longer than five years; (6)many people do not know that ovarian cancer often presents with persistent symptoms such as abdominal pressure, bloating, discomfort, nausea, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, frequent urination, abnormal bleeding, unusual fatigue, unexplained weight loss or gain, and shortness of breath; (7)many people do not know that certain women are at higher risk for developing ovarian cancer if they have risk factors, including increasing age, a personal or family history of ovarian, breast, or colon cancer, and not having had children; (8)raising public awareness of ovarian cancer by educating doctors and women about the disease will save lives; (9)ovarian cancer research is needed to develop early detection tools, prevention methods, enhanced therapies, and a cure; (10)there are still large gaps in knowledge on key scientific aspects of the disease; (11)there is still no reliable and easy-to-administer screening test for ovarian cancer; (12)President George W. Bush has proclaimed September 2005 as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month; (13)during the month of September, the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and its 46 State and regional groups hold hundreds of events across the country to increase public awareness of the disease; and (14)it would be appropriate to observe September 2005 as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

3.

Sense of Congress

The House of Representatives supports the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (1)awareness and early recognition of ovarian cancer symptoms are currently the best way to save women’s lives; and (2)ovarian cancer research should be well-funded so that a reliable screening test can be developed and a cure can be found.