    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 37 (Monday, September 20, 1999)]
    [Pages 1762-1763]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Proclamation 7223--Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week, 1999

    September 17, 1999

    By the President of the United States

    of America

    A Proclamation

        Ovarian cancer is a devastating disease that takes the lives of
    thousands of women in our

    [[Page 1763]]

    Nation each year. Since 1985, there has been a dramatic increase in the
    incidence of ovarian cancer, with a 30 percent increase in the number of
    women diagnosed with the disease and an 18 percent increase in the
    number of fatalities. Ovarian cancer is particularly deadly, killing
    nearly 15,000 women each year. It is often not diagnosed until the
    cancer is in the late states of development, limiting the effectiveness
    of treatment and reducing the chances of survival. In its late stages,
    the chances of survival from ovarian cancer are just 25 percent; when it
    is detected early, before the cancer spreads, the survival rate exceeds
    90 percent.
        Our most effective weapon in the battle against ovarian cancer is
    early detection. Subtle but recognizable symptoms, such as bloating,
    vague abdominal pain and discomfort, gastrointestinal problems, back
    pain, and fatigue can also be symptoms of other less serious illnesses,
    but women who are experiencing such early warning signs should consult
    their doctors immediately for appropriate tests.
        Doctors and researchers have identified factors that put women at
    higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, including a family history of
    breast and ovarian cancer, a high fat diet, never having had children,
    or infertility. It is vital that women learn about risk factors and
    visit their doctors regularly.
        As we observe Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week, let us build on our
    efforts to eradicate this serious disease and urge all American women
    and their families to learn more about ovarian cancer, its symptoms, and
    available methods that may reduce the risk of developing it. By
    increasing awareness of early warning signs and risk factors,
    maintaining a healthy diet, and consulting regularly with health care
    professionals, women across America can lead healthier and longer lives
    and help our Nation win the fight against ovarian cancer.
        Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United
    States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the
    Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September
    19 through September 25, 1999, as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week. I
    encourage the American people to observe this week with appropriate
    ceremonies and activities.
        In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day
    of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine,
    and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred
    and twenty-fourth.
                                                William J. Clinton

    [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., September 20,
    1999]

    Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on
    September 21.