[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 158 (Tuesday, November 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             JOHANNA'S LAW

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 4, 2003

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce Johanna's Law: The 
Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act.
  Every hour, approximately 10 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with a 
gynecologic cancer like ovarian, cervical, or uterine cancer. Every 
year, 26,000 women die of a gynecologic cancer.
  This is a tragedy. What makes it still more tragic is that many of 
those deaths could be prevented if more women knew the risk factors and 
recognized the early symptoms of gynecologic cancers so that they could 
discuss them with their doctors. As we worked on this bill, we heard 
story after story of women who did not recognize their early symptoms 
or wasted precious months waiting for appointments with the wrong kind 
of specialists because they and their doctors did not recognize their 
symptoms as gynecologic.
  For ovarian cancer, the most deadly of the gynecologic cancers, the 
five-year survival rate for women whose cancer is detected in Stage 1 
is 90 percent. In Stage 2, the survival rate is still 80 percent. But 
if the cancer proceeds to Stage 3 or 4, the survival rate drops 
dramatically, to 20 percent or less.
  Unfortunately, not all gynecologic cancers have a screening test 
accurate enough to be used routinely on asymptomatic women. That 
doesn't mean they can't be detected and diagnosed early in many cases. 
A recent study found that almost 90 percent of women with early stage 
ovarian cancer had symptoms before being diagnosed. That's why public 
education is key--if women and their doctors know the risk factors and 
early signs, a specialist can use diagnostic tools to rule out cancer 
or detect it in the early stages.
  Johanna's Law would create a federal campaign to increase early 
detection of these deadly cancers, and, when possible, help women 
reduce their risk of ever contracting them. The legislation takes a 
two-pronged approach, combining a national Public Service Announcement 
directed at all women with targeted grants to local and national 
organizations.
  We named the legislation ``Johanna's Law'' after Johanna Silver 
Gordon, who was a long-time public school teacher in my congressional 
district and who died of ovarian cancer after being diagnosed in a 
later stage. Unfortunately, Johanna's story is all too common. I owe a 
special thanks to Johanna's sister, Sheryl Silver, and her family for 
telling Johanna's story so eloquently and working so tirelessly to 
ensure a better outcome for other women and their families.
  I look forward to working with my cosponsor, Representative Kay 
Granger, and all of my colleagues to enact this important legislation 
into law.

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