Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeLauro. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of an important bill that enjoys strong and consistent bipartisan support--the reauthorization of Johanna's Law through 2014. This is an important vote. It will help to raise awareness of the warning signs of ovarian cancer.

Better awareness is one of the most critical tools we have. Research shows that many deaths from these diseases could be prevented if more women and health care providers knew the risk factors, and recognized the early symptoms of gynecologic cancers.

Better awareness might have helped Johanna Silver Gordon--in whose honor the bill is named. Johanna lost her life to ovarian cancer despite being a health-conscious woman who visited the gynecologist regularly. Like many women, Johanna had symptoms and clinical signs of ovarian cancer that were missed by both her and her healthcare provider. And her sister, Sheryl Silver, was determined never to let another sister, mother, daughter or friend go through the same thing.

This bill is a big step in that fight. It reauthorizes the existing CDC program that educates women and their health care providers about the symptoms of ovarian and other gynecological cancers. Put simply, it will save lives.

I want to thank Congressmen Darrell Issa, Dan Burton, and Sandy Levin for their committed leadership on this issue. And I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation today. As Johanna's family can tell you, it really will make a difference.

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