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