On July 22, the House approved, by voice vote, a resolution (H. Con. Res. 385) that expresses the sense of Congress that further research be conducted on screening tests for ovarian cancer. Sponsored by Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), the resolution calls for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct or support research on ovarian cancer screening tests. H. Con. Res. 385 also calls on federal health care programs as well as group and individual health plans to cover the tests if the medical screening technique is proven “effective for identifying ovarian cancer.”
Noting the importance of the resolution, Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) said that because “ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women…effective screening techniques coupled with yearly exams will ultimately save lives.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), an ovarian cancer survivor, advocated taking “advantage of modern technology” to “bring hope to the women of this country and their survival.”
Agreeing with Rep. DeLauro, Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI) explained that, “Only 25 percent of ovarian cancer cases are caught in the earliest stage.” She continued, “This test could change these frightening statistics and lead to the declines in mortality we’ve seen since the widespread use of early detection tests for cervical and breast cancer.”
Ovarian cancer is treatable if detected early, before it has spread beyond the ovaries. However, most cases are not diagnosed until the advanced stages of the disease.
