HJ0085 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0085 LRB101 14549 MST 63449 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In the United States, a woman's lifetime risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 1 in 78; and

WHEREAS, The five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 46.5 percent; survival rates vary greatly depending on the stage of diagnosis; and

WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates 864 cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in Illinois this year, and 587 women will die from the disease; and

WHEREAS, Of all the counties in the United States, Illinois has four counties in the top 20 for highest death rates from ovarian cancer; and

WHEREAS, All women are at risk for ovarian cancer, but approximately 20 percent of women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a hereditary predisposition to ovarian cancer, which places them at higher risk; and

WHEREAS, While the mammogram can detect breast cancer and the Pap smear can detect cervical cancer, there is no reliable early detection test for ovarian cancer; and

WHEREAS, Many people are unaware that the symptoms of ovarian cancer often include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, urinary symptoms, and several other symptoms that are easily confused with other diseases; and

WHEREAS, The lack of an early detection test for ovarian cancer, combined with vague symptoms, means that approximately 80 percent of cases of ovarian cancer are detected at advanced stages; and

WHEREAS, The month of September is dedicated to increasing awareness of ovarian cancer, to acknowledging the women who have lived through and are living with this deadly disease, and to honoring the women we have lost; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we declare September 2019 as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Illinois Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.