[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 177 (Wednesday, December 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR GREATER AWARENESS OF OVARIAN CANCER

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 1, 2009

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in 
support of H. Res. 727, ``supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.'' I would like to thank my colleague 
Congressman Steve Israel for his leadership on this very important 
issue, as ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer deaths 
among women in the United States.
  Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecological cancers. All 
women are at risk for ovarian cancer, but older women are more likely 
to get the disease than younger women. About 90 percent of women who 
get ovarian cancer are older than 40 years of age, with the greatest 
number being aged 55 years or older. Additionally, 90 percent of women 
diagnosed with ovarian cancer do not have a family history that puts 
them at higher risk. Early detection is vital, only 20 percent of 
ovarian cancers are found before tumor growth has spread beyond the 
ovaries. The chance of surviving ovarian cancer is better if the cancer 
is found early. Unfortunately, there is currently no reliable early 
detection test for ovarian cancer.
  Among women in the United States, ovarian cancer is the eighth most 
common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death, after lung 
and bronchus, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. Ovarian 
cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female 
reproductive system. In 2005, 19,842 women in the U.S. learned they had 
ovarian cancer, and 14,787 women died from the disease.
  Ovarian cancer is known as a ``silent killer'' because it usually 
isn't found until it has spread to other areas of the body. 
Unfortunately, there is no simple and reliable way to test for ovarian 
cancer in women and the Pap test does not check for ovarian cancer. 
However, new evidence shows that most women may have symptoms even in 
the early stages, such as: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, 
difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms, among 
several other symptoms that are easily confused with other diseases. 
This new evidence has led to the first national consensus statement on 
ovarian cancer symptoms to provide consistency in describing symptoms 
to make it easier for women to learn and remember them. Awareness of 
symptoms may hopefully lead to earlier detection.
  The mortality rate for ovarian cancer has not significantly decreased 
in the almost 40 years since the `War on Cancer' was declared. If 
ovarian cancer is diagnosed and treated at an early stage before the 
cancer spreads outside of the ovary, the survival rate is as high as 90 
percent. However, due to the lack of a reliable screening test, 75 
percent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in an advanced stage when 
the five-year survival rate is below 45 percent.
  I urge my colleagues to support the goals and ideals of National 
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Education and awareness of ovarian 
cancer will save the lives of countless women.

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