Sen. Pennycuick and I will soon introduce legislation that will require insurance coverage for ovarian cancer screenings.

Ovarian cancer is often called the “silent killer” because it can develop without symptoms, which means a diagnosis is often discovered at an advanced stage. This was the case with one of my brave constituents who unfortunately passed from this terrible disease. Her husband has worked tirelessly to bring this issue to the attention of lawmakers.
 
The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,010 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2026, and 12,450 women will die from ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.

While ovarian cancer research is ongoing, there are surveillance tests for symptomatic women with a strong family history or BRCA gene mutations that can detect early signs of ovarian cancer. A simple blood screening test called CA-125, which measures protein in the blood, can detect potential signs of ovarian cancer. Elevated protein levels are found in about 80% of women with later-stage ovarian cancer and 50% of women with early-stage ovarian cancer. When combined with an ultrasound or pelvic exam, a routine ovarian cancer surveillance test can lead to a quicker diagnosis, better treatment plans and greater odds of a patient becoming cancer-free.

In accordance with U.S. Preventative Screening Task Force recommendations, our legislation would require insurers to cover an annual surveillance screening to detect ovarian cancer early for symptomatic women, 40 years of age or older, with a known high-risk hereditary cancer syndrome. This proposal will be modeled after bills overwhelmingly passed by the General Assembly with respect to breast cancer. We should have the same form of insurance coverage for women to test against this silent killer.

We ask that you join our effort to fight against cancer and give all those at risk a fighting chance.