[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.