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WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Cancer Caucus, introduced the bipartisan Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventative Services Act to boost exploration into the prevention and treatment of lung cancer in women, particularly non-smokers. Senators Marco Rubio (FL), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Joe Manchin (WV) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in American women,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick, Co-Chair of the Congressional Cancer Caucus. “Our bipartisan Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventative Services Act will empower the medical community to commission more research into both prevention and treatment of lung cancer in women, including for non-smokers, and I am proud to join my colleagues in this effort.”

“Despite the remarkable progress made by the medical community in preventing and treating lung cancer in recent decades, there exists a concerning disparity, particularly affecting women,” said Congressman Boyle. “Every eight minutes, an American woman loses her life to lung cancer. The decline in lung cancer rates among women lags behind that of men. This bill signifies a crucial stride toward ensuring that all Americans, regardless of gender, are shielded from the harrowing impact of this disease. The time has come for the federal government to confront this issue head-on, employing focused research and decisive action to address the urgent demands it presents.”

“For decades investment in research to understand lung cancer’s unique impact on women has lagged, resulting in poor health and economic outcomes for women, their families and the nation," said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, President & CEO of GO2 for Lung Cancer. "There are sex differences in many facets of the disease, including risk factors, clinical characteristics, progression and length of survival. A better understanding of the role these factors play can advance preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic practice is critical to improving outcomes for women and men impacted by the leading cause of cancer death.  Enacting this legislation gives us the opportunity to change this trajectory now”.  

Original Source can be found here.