House Concurrent Resolution 16 - Introduced PAG LIN 1 1 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY UPMEYER, DANDEKAR, MERTZ, BOAL, WESSEL=KROESCHELL, 1 3 TYMESON, JACOBS, HEDDENS, SMITH, LUKAN, OLDSON, 1 4 FOEGE, BERRY, KRESSIG, PAULSEN, DIX, GREINER, 1 5 DRAKE, and GIPP 1 6 (COMPANION TO LSB 3591SS BY RAGAN) 1 7 A Concurrent Resolution relating to cervical cancer 1 8 awareness, and recognizing efforts by the Iowa 1 9 Department of Public Health and the Iowa Consortium 1 10 for Comprehensive Cancer Control in promoting that 1 11 awareness. 1 12 WHEREAS, after breast cancer, cervical cancer is 1 13 the second most common cancer in women on a worldwide 1 14 basis; and 1 15 WHEREAS, according to federal government 1 16 statistics, cervical cancer is the third most common 1 17 gynecological cancer among American women; and 1 18 WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society estimates that 1 19 approximately 10,370 new cases of cervical cancer will 1 20 be diagnosed in 2005, 3,710 of which will result in 1 21 fatalities; and 1 22 WHEREAS, despite the fact that with regular and 1 23 accurate screening cervical cancer is highly 1 24 preventable, and that widespread screening programs 1 25 have helped to reduce cervical cancer death rates, 1 26 fatalities continue to occur; and 1 27 WHEREAS, cervical cancer cases in the United States 1 28 are generally attributed to a lack of education, 1 29 reduced access to regular cervical cancer screening, 1 30 and inaccurate screening analysis; and 2 1 WHEREAS, experience indicates that increasing 2 2 cervical cancer awareness, especially among minority 2 3 women and women with lower incomes, significantly 2 4 reduces the probability of mortality; and that such 2 5 women are disproportionately affected by cervical 2 6 cancer because they are less likely to have access to 2 7 routine screenings and may lack insurance coverage; 2 8 and 2 9 WHEREAS, approximately half of all women diagnosed 2 10 with cervical cancer have never been screened for 2 11 cervical cancer, and 10 percent of women diagnosed 2 12 with cervical cancer have not been screened within the 2 13 five=year period preceding diagnosis; and 2 14 WHEREAS, the median age of cervical cancer patients 2 15 at diagnosis is 47, the youngest median age for all 2 16 female reproductive cancers; and 2 17 WHEREAS, new screening technologies, including 2 18 technologies approved by the federal Food and Drug 2 19 Administration for human papillomavirus testing, which 2 20 is the most important risk factor for the development 2 21 of cervical cancer, offer new opportunities to finally 2 22 eliminate this potentially deadly disease through 2 23 early identification of women at increased risk; and 2 24 WHEREAS, leading medical organizations, including 2 25 the American College of Obstetricians and 2 26 Gynecologists, the American Cancer Society, and the 2 27 Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, have 2 28 recently updated their screening guidelines to include 2 29 the technologies approved by the federal Food and Drug 2 30 Administration for human papillomavirus testing; and 3 1 WHEREAS, women are entitled to proper cervical 3 2 cancer information and access to routine screening so 3 3 they can be empowered to make informed health care 3 4 decisions; and 3 5 WHEREAS, the General Assembly recognizes that 3 6 through education and screening, women can lower their 3 7 likelihood for developing cervical cancer and that 3 8 through early detection, cervical cancer can be 3 9 successfully treated after it develops; NOW THEREFORE, 3 10 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE 3 11 SENATE CONCURRING, That the General Assembly commends 3 12 and supports the Iowa Department of Public Health and 3 13 the Iowa Consortium for Comprehensive Cancer Control 3 14 in taking the lead in formulating and continually 3 15 developing the "Changing the Face of Cancer in Iowa: A 3 16 State Plan", which serves as a nationwide model of 3 17 effective cancer control strategies; in updating the 3 18 department's "Healthy Iowans 2010" publication to 3 19 include data regarding cervical cancer in Iowa women 3 20 and the evaluation of current methods used to provide 3 21 Iowa women with information regarding cervical cancer, 3 22 access to regular screening, and options for 3 23 increasing screening accuracy; and in identifying 3 24 pockets of need and priority strategies for enhancing 3 25 the ability of health care providers to recommend or 3 26 perform early detection services, programs, and 3 27 procedures for their patients; and 3 28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That updates, successes, 3 29 and progress reports related to the "Changing the Face 3 30 of Cancer in Iowa: A State Plan" shall be presented 4 1 annually to the Governor, the President of the Senate, 4 2 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and 4 3 posted annually on the state of Iowa website homepage. 4 4 LSB 3591HH 81 4 5 rn:nh/pj/5.1 1