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National Council of Women's Organizations Applauds New Bill Requiring Medicare Coverage of HPV Testing in Cervical Cancer Screening

Posted on: Friday, 2 November 2007, 15:00 CDT

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) today applauds new legislation that would require Medicare to cover testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of cervical cancer, as part of cervical cancer screening for older women. The Medicare Cervical Cancer Screening and Detection Coverage Act of 2007 [H.R. 4055] was introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and co-sponsored by Allyson Schwartz (D-PA). Nearly two dozen leading health, women's, and other advocacy organizations have voiced their support for the bill.

"Cervical cancer is a major problem among older women, who deserve access to the best preventive strategies available," said Susan Scanlan, NCWO Chair. "Studies suggest that HPV testing as part of screening offers women a better level of protection against cervical cancer. We applaud Rep. DeLauro for helping ensure older women will benefit from this advanced technology."

Women age 65 and older account for nearly 20 percent of all new cervical cancer cases and more than 35 percent of all deaths from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. This year, the American Cancer Society reports that 11,150 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,670 women will die of the disease.

"Cervical cancer can be a devastating disease, yet it is preventable," said Rep. DeLauro. "Knowing if an older woman has HPV could help determine if and how often she should continue to be screened. This can help save older women from the anguish of a cervical cancer diagnosis, and can help ensure that Medicare resources are directed toward those who really need them."

According to Nancy Berman, MSN, APRN, nurse practitioner at Northwest Internal Medicine Associates in Southfield, Michigan, "Almost all cervical cancers are caused by high-risk types of HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection that usually goes away on its own. If HPV infection persists, it can cause cell changes that, untreated, can lead to cervical cancer."

The Pap test, the traditional method of screening for cervical cancer, is approximately 50 to 85 percent accurate, depending upon the type of test used. An HPV test was approved by the FDA in 2003 for use with a Pap test in women age 30 and older. Research shows that this approach increases to nearly 100 percent a clinician's ability to identify women who are at increased risk for cervical cancer and require more diligent follow-up care.

HPV testing is included in cervical cancer screening guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Cancer Society. Most private insurance companies and state Medicaid programs already cover HPV testing as part of routine cervical cancer screening for women age 30 and older.

About NCWO

Formed in 1983, NCWO is a nonpartisan, nonprofit umbrella organization of approximately 210 groups that collectively represent over eleven million women across the United States. NCWO members collaborate through substantive policy work and grass roots activism to address issues of concern to women, including workplace and economic equity, education and job training, affirmative action,

Social Security, child care, reproductive freedom, health, and global progress for women's equality. NCWO is the only national coalition of its kind.

National Council of Women's Organizations

CONTACT: Carolyn Jacobson of NCWO Women's Health Task Force,+1-202-508-6901, cjacobson@cluw.org

Source: PRNewswire

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