Tammy Baldwin: “This bipartisan coalition is a testament to the simple fact that when it comes to life and death, life and death issues…”

“This bipartisan coalition is a testament to the simple fact that when it comes to life and death, life and death issues like cancer, Congress speaks with one voice. It must. This is a special moment. Whether it is a family member, a friend, or if you are a survivor yourself, each of us knows the deadly toll that gynecological cancer takes. Twenty years ago I found out for myself when, during an unrelated doctor's visit, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I underwent radiation treatment for 22 months, and I am proud to say that I have now been cancer-free for 20 years. But no one should have to depend on luck when it comes to life and death. Right now, almost 21,000 women are diagnosed every year with ovarian cancer, nearly 16,000 of whom will die. Ovarian cancer claims the lives of nearly three-quarters of women diagnosed simply because the disease is not detected until it has reached an advanced stage. This disease has a 45 percent 5-year survival rate. The tragedy is that ovarian cancer, like other gynecologic cancers, can be cured if it is detected soon enough.”