[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 6 (Tuesday, February 1, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E44]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO THE SOCIETY OF GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGISTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 1, 2000

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Society of 
Gynecologic Oncologists as they gather in San Diego for their 31st 
Annual Meeting this week. The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists is a 
nonprofit, international organization dedicated to improving the care 
of women with gynecologic cancer, raising standards of practice in 
gynecologic oncology and encouraging on-going research.
  An estimated 12,800 cases of invasive cervical cancer occurred in the 
United States in 1999, which lead to 4,800 deaths. These cases occur 
predominantly among the economically disadvantaged. This cancer has a 
well recognized preinvasive state; and enrolling more of the cases with 
preinvasive disease into ongoing vaccine trials would give us an 
opportunity to prevent cervical cancer, which would be a benefit not 
only to the United States, but to the 400,000 women world wide who 
develop cervical cancer each year.
  In 1999, an estimated 37,400 women were diagnosed with endometrial 
cancer and 6,400 of these women will die from this disease. This cancer 
too has a premalignant state which may be reversed with exposure to 
progesterone compounds. Such trials are ongoing and also represent an 
opportunity to prevent this most common gynecologic cancer.
  Ovarian cancer strikes 1 in 55 women and an estimated 14,500 women 
die from it each year. Five to 10 percent of these cancers arise in 
families with mutations, and efforts underway to study these families 
are critical to understanding how the disease arises and may someday be 
prevented.
  Clinical trials are frequently the best option of state-of-the-art 
cancer treatment. Approximately 2 to 3 percent of adults diagnosed with 
cancer participate in clinical trials. The current trends with regard 
to participation in clinical research for adults diagnosed with cancer 
are jeopardizing our ability to facilitate progress against cancer in 
this country. Clinical trials are the best way to translate research 
progress into effective cancer treatments and preventive strategies 
that might save the lives of the approximately 563,100 Americans who 
will die from cancer each year.
  As a strong supporter of medical research, clinical trials, and the 
efforts of SGO's President, William J. Hoskins, M.D., at Memorial 
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, I commend the Society of Gynecologic 
Oncologists and its members, some of who reside in my district, for 
their dedication and commitment to improving the quality of care for 
our mothers, grandmothers, and daughters in their fight to win the 
battle against gynecologic cancers.

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