PRINTER'S NO. 1705
No. 225 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, BOSCOLA, WASHINGTON, BRUBAKER, ERICKSON,
KASUNIC, FERLO, FONTANA, MUSTO, PUNT, D. WHITE, PIPPY, STOUT,
TARTAGLIONE, C. WILLIAMS, McILHINNEY, MELLOW, STACK,
TOMLINSON, WONDERLING, REGOLA, O'PAKE, FOLMER, BROWNE,
RAFFERTY, WAUGH, LOGAN, FUMO, COSTA, PILEGGI, WOZNIAK, BAKER
AND LAVALLE, JANUARY 28, 2008
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, JANUARY 28, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating January 2008 as "Cervical Cancer Awareness Month" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Following breast cancer, cervical cancer is the
4 second most common cancer in women worldwide; and
5 WHEREAS, According to Federal Government statistics, cervical
6 cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer among
7 American women with approximately 11,150 new cases diagnosed
8 annually, more than 3,600 of which are terminal; and
9 WHEREAS, Cervical cancer is almost always caused by a common
10 virus known as the human papillomavirus (HPV); and
11 WHEREAS, An HPV vaccine is now available to prevent 70% of
12 cervical cancers; and
13 WHEREAS, With regular and accurate screening, cervical cancer
14 is highly preventable; and
15 WHEREAS, Widespread screening has reduced death rates from
16 cervical cancer, but women are still dying despite advanced
1 medical techniques and evaluative procedures; and
2 WHEREAS, Cervical cancer rates in the United States are
3 affected by education, access to regular cervical cancer
4 screening and screening accuracy; and
5 WHEREAS, Experience shows that increasing cervical cancer
6 awareness among women, especially underserved women,
7 significantly reduces the probability of mortality; and
8 WHEREAS, Cervical cancer disproportionately affects minority
9 women and women with lower incomes who are less likely to have
10 access to routine screening; and
11 WHEREAS, Six out of ten cervical cancers occur in women who
12 have never been screened, or have not been screened within the
13 last five years; and
14 WHEREAS, The median age of cervical cancer patients at
15 diagnosis is 48 years, the youngest median age for all female
16 reproductive cancers; and
17 WHEREAS, New screening technologies offer new opportunities
18 to finally eliminate cervical cancer through early
19 identification of women at increased risk; and
20 WHEREAS, These technologies include testing approved by the
21 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human papillomavirus, the
22 cause of virtually all cervical cancers; and
23 WHEREAS, Leading medical organizations, including the
24 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the
25 American Cancer Society and the Association of Reproductive
26 Health Professionals, have recently updated their screening
27 guidelines to include FDA-approved testing for human
28 papillomavirus; and
29 WHEREAS, Women are entitled to appropriate information
30 relating to cervical cancer so they can make informed health
20080S0225R1705 - 2 -
1 care decisions and access to accurate screening; and
2 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth recognizes that, through education
3 and screening, women can lower their likelihood for developing
4 cervical cancer and that, through early detection, cervical
5 cancer can be successfully treated after it develops; therefore
6 be it
7 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate January 2008 as "Cervical
8 Cancer Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania to increase awareness on
9 the part of women, their families, their health care providers
10 and policymakers of the risks, prevalence and treatability of
11 cervical cancer if women are provided with early access to
12 accurate screening.
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