[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 141 (Wednesday, September 21, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                THE OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2011

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this important 
bipartisan resolution that will help to raise awareness of the warning 
signs for ovarian cancer. This is an important vote that, put simply, 
will save lives of women across the country.
  While we have made considerable progress in recent years in the war 
against cancer, thanks to the hard work of biomedical researchers at 
NIH and elsewhere, ovarian cancer has been a stubborn enemy. It remains 
the fifth most common cancer among women, and one I myself suffered 
from 25 years ago. It causes more deaths than any other female 
reproductive cancer. More than 15,000 of our friends and family are 
expected to perish from it this year.
  Perhaps the saddest thing about these grim numbers is that some of 
these deaths are readily preventable. We know that women who catch 
their ovarian cancer at an earlier stage are over three times more 
likely to survive the disease than those who do not. Sadly, over 60% of 
the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 1999 and 2006 fell into 
this latter category.
  That's why it is so important that we pass this resolution, and 
continue to help raise awareness about ovarian cancer. Of course, there 
are other steps we should also take. We need to re-fund Johanna's Law 
this year, which, despite strong bipartisan support, was zeroed out in 
the 2011 budget. And we need to continue to support the congressional-
directed medical research program for ovarian cancer research at the 
Department of Defense, which was cut by 20% in the House's 2012 Defense 
Appropriations Bill.
  But today, we can do our part by standing up against ovarian cancer, 
and passing this resolution. Cancer is indiscriminate. It does not care 
about your age, your family, your sex, your race, your religion, or 
your political party. It reminds us that we are all human and 
vulnerable. And that we must all come together--man and woman, young 
and old, Democrat and Republican--to fight it on every front.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and to help put an 
end to deaths from ovarian cancer.

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