04/30/2002 03:40 PM Senate STA

                                                                                                                                
              SCR 33-OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
GERAN  TARR, Aide  to  Senator Johnny  Ellis,  said SCR  33 was  a                                                              
simple  resolution   recognizing   September  as  Ovarian   Cancer                                                              
Awareness Month.   In August  of 2000,  Kim Sexton and  Deb Donoho                                                              
formed  the  Alaska   Chapter  of  the  National   Ovarian  Cancer                                                              
Coalition  (NOCC),  hoping  to  be able  to  educate  women  about                                                              
ovarian cancer,  which is  often diagnosed too  late.   They hoped                                                              
that by having Ovarian Cancer Awareness  Month, they would be able                                                              
to get  the message to women  about screening opportunities.   She                                                              
said there  is not a comprehensive  screening program  for ovarian                                                              
cancer like  there is for  breast cancer.   She said the  rates of                                                              
ovarian cancer  are rising  dramatically.   The Alaska  Chapter of                                                              
NOCC  was trying  to encourage  women to  consider ovarian  cancer                                                              
earlier rather  than after they've  ruled out all  other potential                                                              
health problems.   She noted the following bullet  points from the                                                              
sponsor statement:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
        · In the United States, more women die of ovarian                                                                       
          cancer each year than of cervical and endometrial                                                                     
          cancers combined.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
        · Early detection is the key to survival; if the                                                                        
          cancer is diagnosed while confined to the ovary                                                                       
          the five-year survival rate reaches 93% on                                                                            
          average.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. TARR  said the Anchorage  Assembly passed resolutions  and the                                                              
Governor  made  proclamations  recognizing  September  as  Ovarian                                                              
Cancer Awareness Month for a couple  of years.  She said there was                                                              
a national  campaign to  pass resolutions permanently  recognizing                                                              
September as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DEB DONOHO, Alaska  Chapter of NOCC, said SCR 33  was important to                                                              
them because we  need to educate women of the  symptoms of ovarian                                                              
cancer.   She said Ovarian Cancer  Awareness Month would  be a way                                                              
to get their attention.  She said  if women knew what the symptoms                                                              
are, they could check for ovarian  cancer in the beginning instead                                                              
of waiting until everything else was ruled out.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT asked  if there  were any  questions.   There                                                              
were not.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
KIM SEXTON, Alaska Chapter of NOCC,  said before she was diagnosed                                                              
with ovarian  cancer, she  had never  heard of  the disease.   She                                                              
said they  did a women's  show in  Anchorage the previous  weekend                                                              
and she was alarmed  at the amount of women that  they educated on                                                              
the fact  that a  pap smear  doesn't detect  ovarian cancer.   She                                                              
said women don't know about the disease and need to be educated.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT asked  if there  were any  questions.   There                                                              
were none.   He noted the zero  fiscal note attached to  the bill.                                                              
He said  he had not  prepared a  CS.  He asked  if there  were any                                                              
amendments.   There  were  not.   He  asked for  the  will of  the                                                              
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS moved SCR 33 from  committee with attached fiscal                                                              
note and individual recommendations.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
There being  no objection,  SCR 33 was  moved from committee  with                                                              
attached fiscal note and individual recommendations.