[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 24 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E293-E294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF PROTECT OUR WOMEN FROM OVARIAN CANCER ACT OF 2002

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                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 2002

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, currently, around three-quarters of women 
with ovarian cancer are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, 
when they have only about a 20 percent chance to surviving five years. 
However, if the disease is caught early, the five-year survival is 
around 95 percent. So providing a way to routinely identify the disease 
in its ``Stage 1'' phase could have a dramatic impact in what is now a 
very deadly cancer.
  Scientist from the Food and Drug Administration and the National 
Cancer Institute reported in [Petricoin EF, Ardekani AM, Hitt BA, 
Levine PJ, Fusaro VA, Steinberg SM, Mills GB, Simone C, Fishman DA, 
Kohn EC, Liotta LA. use of proteomic patterns in serum to identify 
ovarian cancer. The Lancet 2002:261. Feb. 8, 2002.] that patterns of 
protein found in patients' blood serum may reflect the presence of the 
disease.
  In the study, scientists used serum proteins to detect ovarian 
cancer, seven at early stages. using test that can be completed in 30 
minutes using blood that can be obtained from a finger stick, 
researchers were able to differentiate between serum samples taken from

[[Page E294]]

patients with ovarian cancer and those from unaffected individuals.
  However, despite the success of this preliminary research, it is only 
the first step in the testing process. It is incumbent that we find out 
as soon as possible whether protein screening is an effective 
preventive health-screening tool for this devastating disease. 
Therefore I am introducing legislation which will instruct the 
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human to immediately conduct 
or support research on the effectiveness of the medical screening 
technique of using proteomic patterns in blood serum to identify 
ovarian cancer, including the effectiveness of so using proteomic 
patterns in combination with other screening methods for ovarian 
cancer.
  If the testing finds the test effective, this legislation would 
require that Medicare cover the cost of this preventive health-
screening tool. Medicare will treat proteomic screening at the same 
reimbursement rate and under the same rules and restrictions as a Pap 
smear test.
  Therefore, Medicare will cover this test fro all women starting at 
the age of 50 once every two years and will reimburse health are 
providers at exactly the same rate as pap smears.
  Mr. Speaker, those of us who have been elected to Congress have been 
entrusted with enormous responsibility and enormous power. We must use 
our power wisely, for the common good. There is no issue of more 
importance to the people of the United States than health care, and no 
more poignant issue than the health off our women. Ovarian cancer is a 
heartbreaking disease that strikes surreptitiously and long before any 
symptoms are manifest. Waiting for symptoms means our mothers and 
sisters and daughters are extremely vulnerable to unacceptably high 
fatality rates. By detecting the disease in Stage 1, we will save 
thousands of lives. In the development of national priorities, can 
there be anything more important than saving lives? I think not. Let us 
proceed with the research, and if successful, let us implement 
effective early screening for ovarian cancer.
  Mr. Speaker, this is medical breakthrough. Now let us breakthrough 
government and bureaucracy and start saving lives.

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