Sherrod Brown: “Mr. Speaker, it is tragic that this year alone 15,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. More than 4,500…”

“Mr. Speaker, it is tragic that this year alone 15,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. More than 4,500 women will lose their lives to it. It is tragic that cervical cancer remains such a virulent killer when it is within our power to prevent it. In my own State of Ohio, over 200 deaths each year are attributable to cervical cancer. Experts believe that cervical cancer deaths can be virtually eliminated through behavioral changes, early detection, and timely access to treatment, all of which hinge on public awareness. The public needs to know that safe behaviors and proper screening can reduce cervical cancer death rates dramatically. The public needs the facts about screening test accuracy, new detection methods and about treatment breakthroughs so that all of us can play an active role in prevention and in treatment decisions. The public needs to know about initiatives like the CDC's breast and cervical cancer early detection program, which has reached millions of uninsured women with free screening tests. Public awareness can help us garner the resources needed for CDC and its State and local partners to do more than scratch the surface of this problem. As currently funded, the CDC program can only reach 15 percent of uninsured women.”