Ovarian Cancer Test Petition

Despite recent advances there is currently no screening test for all women that catches ovarian cancer early; most are diagnosed later, with only a 20 to 30 percent survival rate. To save thousands of lives, lawmakers are sponsoring the Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers Research Act. Its goal is to provide $120 million to researchers trying to develop a test to detect ovarian cancer in its earliest stages. The bill was introduced into the House of Representatives in September 2007 by Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Ralph Hall (R-Texas) and into the Senate in January 2008 by Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.). At press time it had 78 House cosponsors and 18 in the Senate, including Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-Ill.), whose mother died of ovarian and uterine cancer in 1995. To back this effort, please print this page and send the form below to Ladies' Home Journal Stop Ovarian Cancer Petition, 375 Lexington Ave., 9th floor, New York, NY 10017; or go to www.lhj.com. We will deliver your petitions to Capitol Hill.