In 2013, more than 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It is considered the deadliest gynecologic cancer and is the fifth leading cause of death in women who have been diagnosed with some form of cancer. This year, it is projected that just over 14,000 women will die due to advanced stage ovarian cancer.

All women are at risk for ovarian cancer, with 1 in 72 at risk for being diagnosed with an invasive form of the cancer. There is currently no reliable form of early detection when it comes to ovarian cancer. The symptoms often times are confused with the symptoms of other diseases, and in 75 percent of known cases, the cancer has time to progress into late to advanced stages before being diagnosed. Because of this, the overall five year survival rate is only 46 percent. This hasn’t decreased much in the 40 years since the “War on Cancer” began.

This is why I joined a group of my colleagues to introduce a Senate-passed resolution that designates September as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Our resolution expresses the Senate’s support for increasing awareness of the symptoms and preventative measures to the national stage in hopes that a quicker diagnoses can be made and give women a greater chance of survival.