[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 100 (Monday, July 22, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H5050-H5053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1945
SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING OVARIAN CANCER
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 385) expressing the sense of
the Congress that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should
conduct or support research on certain tests to screen for ovarian
cancer, and Federal health care programs and groups and individual
health plans should cover the tests if demonstrated to be effective,
and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 385
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting
through the Director of the National Institutes of Health--
[[Page H5051]]
(A) should 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 using the technique in combination with
other screening methods for ovarian cancer; and
(B) should continue to conduct or support other promising
ovarian cancer research that may lead to breakthroughs in
screening techniques;
(2) the Secretary should submit to the Congress a report on
the research described in paragraph (1)(A), including an
analysis of the effectiveness of the medical screening
technique for identifying ovarian cancer; and
(3) if the research demonstrates that the medical screening
technique is effective for identifying ovarian cancer,
Federal health care programs and group and individual health
plans should cover the technique.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Grucci). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Brown) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).
General Leave
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on H. Con. Res. 385 and to include extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 385, which
expresses the support of the Congress for research on tests to screen
for ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women.
Approximately 50 percent of the women in the United States diagnosed
with ovarian cancer die as a result of the cancer within 5 years. The
sooner ovarian cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better a woman's
chance for recovery, since ovarian cancer is readily treatable when it
is detectable before it has spread beyond the ovaries.
If diagnosed and treated while the cancer is still limited to the
ovary, the 5-year survival rate is 95 percent. However, only 25 percent
of all ovarian cancers are found at this early stage, primarily because
ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. Women with ovarian cancer often
do not display symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage.
Without a reliable, easy-to-administer screening tool, we will continue
to lose the battle to detect and treat this cancer in its early stages.
This resolution expresses the sense of the Congress that the National
Institutes of Health should conduct or support research on the
effectiveness of screening technologies to detect ovarian cancer. The
resolution also requests that the Secretary of Health and Human
Services submit to Congress a report on this research, including an
analysis on the effectiveness of these screening techniques.
Finally, the resolution states that if the research demonstrates that
the screening technique is effective for identifying ovarian cancer,
Federal health programs and health plans should cover this new
diagnostic test.
It is important for women to get tested yearly for ovarian cancer.
Effective screening techniques coupled with yearly exams will
ultimately save lives. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support
this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms.
DeLauro) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) for their efforts
to address the need for continued research in ovarian health screening
and subsequent coverage of proven testing methods by insurers.
Ovarian cancer, the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers, is the
fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among American women. It is
estimated there will be over 23,000 new cases that get diagnosed,
approximately 14,000 deaths from ovarian cancer just in this year alone
in the U.S. There is no sound screening test to accurately detect
ovarian cancer in its early stages like a pap smear for the detection
of cervical cancer or a mammogram to detect breast cancer. While the 5-
year survival rate for women in the advanced stages of ovarian cancer
is only 15 to 20 percent, for women in stage I of the disease, the 5-
year survival rate approaches 90 percent.
This resolution encourages the development of an effective screening
tool for ovarian cancer and promotes insurance coverage of effective
screening tests. The Subcommittee on Health under the Committee on
Energy and Commerce marked up this bill last week in committee. We
passed it unanimously by voice vote. I urge my colleagues to support
the resolution.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further request for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Israel).
Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, there are times when we can make a difference and
sometimes it is the difference between life and death, and today is one
of those days. We are considering a resolution that could begin a
process that will save the lives of thousands of American women with
ovarian cancer and women all over the world over the next several
years.
The resolution before us, which I introduced with the gentlewoman
from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), distinguished colleague, calls on the
National Institutes of Health to conduct a complete multi-institutional
trial of a potentially huge breakthrough in the early detection of
ovarian cancer.
My colleagues have heard the statistics. About 75 percent of women
diagnosed with ovarian cancer receive that diagnosis in the advanced
stages of the disease when survival rates are only 20 percent. Ovarian
cancer is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers. It is the fifth leading
cause of cancer deaths among American women. One out of every 57 women
are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Last year nearly 14,000 women in
America died from ovarian cancer.
The statistics are alarming, but we can do something about them
tonight. Thanks to Peter Levine and Dr. Ben Hitt, a reliable method of
early detection may be near and that early detection takes the survival
rate from 20 percent to 95 percent. This is something that saves lives.
These are statistics that we can improve.
The resolution calls for a full field test of the new ovarian cancer
early detection process, and if that full trial of the simple blood
test for ovarian cancer proves effective, I am going to fight to
require that the blood test be given to all women as part of their
annual gynecological exam and that Medicare/Medicaid and private
insurance fully cover the procedure. It is a tough approach, but the
time to act is now. In this case we can do something about the
statistics. We can do something to save thousands of lives. We can make
a difference.
Our Nation has found the resolve and the resources to tackle the most
difficult problems on earth, to produce the most advanced technology,
to produce the most sophisticated weapons we need to protect our
national security, and now we have an opportunity, using a simple stick
upon a finger, to protect the health security of nearly 14,000 women.
Now is the time for us to find the resolve and the resources to protect
our people and our women from the ravages of ovarian cancer.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the leadership of the Committee on
Commerce for their bipartisan support. I want to thank the leadership
of the entire Congress for their bipartisan support for this
legislation that does put women ahead of politics. I urge my colleagues
to support this important resolution.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), who has been one of the sponsors of
this bill and has been a leader in all kinds of issues regarding
women's health.
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for
yielding me this time.
I stand here today in thanks to the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Israel), and I want to express how proud I am to join with him on this
resolution. I will explain why to my colleagues.
So many people here know about my own set of health circumstances.
Sixteen years ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. There is a
moment
[[Page H5052]]
when they tell you that you have cancer in which you go blank. You are
not quite listening to anything that the doctor is telling you; you are
only trying to figure out whether or not you are going to live or you
are going to die.
Ovarian cancer is a stealth disease. It does not know a political
party; it does not know age; it does not know religious background; it
just strikes. What is often the case is that women do not know they
have ovarian cancer until the late stages, and that is often too late.
By some, I say random luck, but I always view that someone was watching
over me; I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the first stage so that
it was treatable, though 16 years ago we did not have all of the new
technology and this wonderful opportunity that we have to see expanded
research by looking at blood samples and determining from the protein
in those blood samples whether or not you have ovarian cancer. But it
was random, and no one should live or die by randomness.
We have an opportunity with this resolution to move forward in that
early detection of ovarian cancer, and in these last 16 years, we have
been unable to come forward with a screen, something like a mammogram
which has been so helpful in determining the early stages of breast
cancer so that we can save lives. That is what this resolution is
about. It is about saving women's lives, because almost 14,000 women
will die this year with ovarian cancer. If we had that screen, we could
save 90 percent of them. They could go and be with their families, with
their husbands, with their children, and have good lives.
I know my colleagues will do the right thing on this resolution. Let
us take advantage of modern technology, of biomedical research, and let
us bring hope to the women of this country and their survival. I say
``thank you'' from the bottom of my heart to Steve Israel, who asked me
to join him on this resolution, and I say ``thank you'' to God every
day for giving me my life back and my opportunity to serve in this
institution, because this is the institution that can make things
happen. We can save lives with this resolution.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Con. Res.
385 which expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Health
and Human Services should conduct or support research on certain tests
to screen for ovarian cancer, and Federal health care programs and
group and individual health plans should cover the tests if
demonstrated to be effective.
Experts estimate that more than 23,000 cases of ovarian cancer will
be diagnosed this year with an estimated 13,900 women dying this year
alone. While this is a sad reality, it is even more disturbing when we
consider that ovarian cancer is a very treatable disease when it is
detected early, but only 25 percent of ovarian cancer cases in the
United States are diagnosed in the early stages. The vast majorities of
cases are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries,
often because symptoms are easily confused with other diseases and
because reliable easily administered screening tools do not exist.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers, and is the
fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.
We all know about the remarkable scientific advances that are made
each day. Today, people worried about certain illnesses may soon know
for certain if they are at risk. Diseases that were once considered
incurable are not preventable. Every day we are exploring new frontiers
of the landscape of life and claiming new scientific victory. We are
able to operate on infants still in the womb, extend the lives of heart
patients with artificial hearts, and predict the development of disease
through genetic coding. But there is a sad side of this story. There
are diseases that do not receive the research attention that is
necessary for advancement in treating and curing them. Ovarian cancer
is one of those diseases.
That is why we must actively support all promising new developments
in research. Scientists from the Food and Drug Administration and the
National Cancer Institute reported in the February edition of The
Lancet that patterns of protein found in patients' blood serum may
reflect the presence of ovarian cancer. In the study, scientists used
serum proteins to detect ovarian cancer, even at its earliest stages.
Using a test that can be completed in 30 minutes with blood from a
finger prick researchers were able to differentiate between serum
samples taken from patients with ovarian cancer and those from
unaffected patients. This test was one step in a long journey.
Additional, multi-institutional trials must be completed before the
scientific community can agree that this is a reliable tool. That is
why this resolution is so critical. We must push to make this test
available to women. Saving at least one of the 13,900 who will die has
to be our motivation.
Currently, 50 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer die from
it within five years. When the disease is diagnosed in advanced stages,
the chance of five-year survival is only 25 percent. Sadly, the
situation for African American women is even more dismal. Among African
American women, only 48 percent survive five years or more. Overcoming
such persistent and perplexing health disparities and promoting health
for all Americans must be a priority. That is why supporting research
on medical screening techniques to identify ovarian cancer must rank as
a priority for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Early detection of this disease is the best way to save women's
lives. The Department of Health and Human Service has done remarkable
work researching deadly disease like cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes and
AIDS and giving hope to so many patients through this research. This
resolution asks the Secretary of Health and Human Services to focus
research on this unrecognized threat to the lives of women.
Specifically, the Secretary should focus research on the effectiveness
of the medical screening technique of using proteomic patterns in blood
serum to identify ovarian cancer.
Our scientists have tackled some of the most difficult problems known
to man and have the potential to solve some of the most challenging
health problems in the world. We must resolve to put all our resources
behind their efforts particularly for diseases that affect populations
that persistently experience health disparities.
I support this legislation and thank the sponsor Mr. Israel and Ms.
Rosa DeLauro who is a living testimony to how we can get results from
good health care--because she is a survivor of ovarian cancer.
Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I commend the House for taking up this
resolution raising the importance of ovarian cancer research and
screening.
Despite the severe consequences it poses to women's health, ovarian
cancer is still under-recognized and under-researched. According to the
American Cancer Society, more than 23,000 new cases of ovarian cancer
will be diagnosed this year alone. An estimated 13,900 women will die
of ovarian cancer in 2002, accounting for more deaths than any other
cancer of the female reproductive system, and ranking as the fifth
leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
Ovarian cancer is highly treatable when discovered in its earliest,
most treatable stages. Unfortunately, it is seldom discovered until it
has spread. Only 78 percent of ovarian cancer patients survive one year
and just over 50 percent survive five years after diagnosis.
Currently, no simple standardized tests exist to detect ovarian
cancer the way mammography can reliably check for breast cancer. This
is why it is essential that Congress commit itself to research in the
early detection of ovarian cancer.
The good news is that since 1991, the ovarian cancer incidence rate
has been on the decline. The best way to ensure the continuation of
these waning numbers is to invest in improved testing and research.
With multiple means of early detection on the horizon, it is essential
that we address this important issue as soon as possible. I urge my
colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.
Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask all of my
colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 385, which calls upon the Secretary
of Health and Human Services to conduct or support research on certain
tests to screen for ovarian cancer and to ensure that Federal health
care plans and group and individual health plans cover the tests if
they are demonstrated to be effective. I am a proud co-sponsor of this
important legislation.
As many of my colleague know, increasing research funding for ovarian
cancer, especially for development of an early detection test, has been
among my top legislative priorities for the past decade. My bill, H.R.
326, the Ovarian Cancer Research and Information Amendments Act, has
142 co-sponsors. I have introduced a similar bill in each Congress,
beginning in 1991.
I was thrilled to learn in February of this year of a blood test
developed by Correlogic Systems Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland which has
been studied by researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the
Food and Drug
[[Page H5053]]
Administration. In the study, scientists used a protein pattern they
developed to classify 116 blood samples that were known to include 50
cancerous samples and 66 noncancerous samples. The test correctly
identified the 50 cancerous samples and correctly identified 95 percent
of the control sample as noncancerous.
It is urgent that large-scale testing of this technology be begun as
soon as possible. As this test only requires a blood test, it will at
last enable the widespread screening needed to identify this disease in
its earliest and most curable stage. In particular, we should make the
test available as soon as possible to those with increased risk factors
for ovarian cancer.
Approximately 23,000 women in the United States are expected to be
diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year and some 14,000 women will die
from the disease. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal cancer of the
female reproductive system, primarily because it is so difficult to
detect in its early stages. While survival rates are quite high if the
disease is found before it spreads beyond the ovaries, the five-year
survival rate drops to 28 percent for women who are diagnosed and
treated in the later stages of the disease. Only 25 percent of ovarian
cancer cases are caught in the earliest stage. This test could change
these frightening statistics and lead to the declines in mortality
we've seen since widespread use of early detection tests for cervical
and breast cancer.
I commend Representatives Israel and DeLauro for introducing this
bill and urge all of my colleagues to support it.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 385.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________