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Designating April as "Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month"; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, ovarian cancer, also known as "the silent killer," is the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive system; and

WHEREAS, public health experts estimate that approximately 23,000 to 26,800 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2000, including approximately 780 cases in Georgia; and

WHEREAS, the overall survival rate for ovarian cancer is only about 50 percent, and epidemiologists expected about 14,000 deaths from ovarian cancer in the United States in 2000, including about 300 ovarian cancer deaths in Georgia; and

WHEREAS, despite effective treatments for early ovarian cancer, the disease is often undetected until an advanced stage, when the five-year survival rate may be only 30 percent; and

WHEREAS, although there is no commonly accepted screening test for all women, there are diagnostic tests which are appropriate for women who have the symptoms of ovarian cancer or whose risk of ovarian cancer is increased by their family or personal history; and

WHEREAS, the House Ovarian Cancer Study Committee, created in 2000 by the adoption of H.R. 217, after hearing extensive and moving testimony from public health experts, doctors, organizations, and individuals who have survived ovarian cancer, recommended an emphasis on public education, which includes information regarding risk factors for ovarian cancer, the role of heredity, symptoms, diagnostic tests, and treatment options; and

WHEREAS, designating a month for awareness of ovarian cancer is an excellent tactic to focus public attention on this insidious and lethal disease.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the month of April in each year is designated as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that public health agencies are urged to develop strategies, pamphlets, public service announcements, presentations, and a coordinated campaign to increase public awareness and knowledge regarding this virulent disease, and that hospitals, health care providers, service organizations, churches, newspapers, advertisers, broadcasters, schools, and individuals are encouraged to participate fully in this struggle to save lives through public education regarding ovarian cancer.