PROCLAMATION 7120—SEPT. 12, 1998
112 STAT. 3795
Proclamation 7120 of September 12, 1998
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week, 1998
By the President of the United states of America
•
A Proclamation
We have many weapons at hand in our war against cancer, and among
the most effective is early diagnosis. With ovarian cancer in particular—sometimes called the "silent killer" because it shows no obvious signs or symptoms until late in its development—early diagnosis
can mean the difference between life and death. Of the estimated
26,000 American women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer last
year, an estimated 14,000 died. Currently, almost 70 percent of women
with ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until the disease is in its advanced stages; in many cases, the cancer has already spread by the
time it is discovered.
We know relatively little about why some women develop this deadly
disease. While every woman is at risk, we do know that ovarian cancer
occurs somewhat more frequently in women who have never been
pregnant. Women who have had breast cancer or who have a family
history of breast or ovarian cancer are also at increased risk. There are
other genetic factors as well that can affect the incidence of ovarian
cancer.
We do have hope in our fight against this cancer. Scientists at medical
centers and hospitals across our Nation are developing significant new
information that holds promise for the future, particularly for research
in genetic susceptibility and prevention, diagnostic imaging, screening
and diagnosis, and treatment. For example, because of their knowledge
about the ovarian cancer risk genes, researchers are now able to work
on developing prevention and screening with women in families at
high risk. Researchers are also making progress in the area of treatment
through improvements in existing chemotherapy regimens.
While we take heart from these promising developments, we also recognize the need for an increased awareness and understanding of ovarian cancer. As we observe Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week and affirm
our national commitment to fighting this devastating disease, I encourage all American women and their families to learn more about ovarian
cancer, and I urge health care professionals to emphasize to their patients the importance of regular examinations. By doing so, we can
build on the progress we have made in our crusade against cancer and
ensure healthier, longer lives for women.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September
13 through September 19, 1998, as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week.
I encourage the American people to observe this week with appropriate
ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day
of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-
eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-tiiird.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
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