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Illinois Receives "Very Good" Rating, But Cervical Cancer Report Cites Gaps; Sen. Halvorson Urges More Action

Posted on: Wednesday, 18 January 2006, 09:01 CST

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A national report released today shows that Illinois is among the top-five performing states, but is still missing critical opportunities in the fight against cervical cancer. According to the second annual report, "Progress Report 2006: the 'State' of Cervical Cancer Prevention in America," issued by Women In Government, Illinois received a "very good" rating, but scored only 75 percent out of a possible 100 percent. In 2005, the report assigned the state a score of 69 percent.

"We should be encouraged that Illinois is among the better-faring states and has improved since last year, but clearly we still need to do more, given that cervical cancer is preventable," said Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete). The report looked at current data for each state on cervical cancer rates, women's access to screening using the most up-to-date technology, and the legislative priority being put on the issue.

According to the new report: -- Illinois's incidence rate of cervical cancer is 9.7 per 100,000 women and its mortality rate is 3.1 per 100,000 women, which are both higher than the national averages. -- More than 12 percent of women in Illinois are unscreened or under-screened. -- 16 percent of Illinois women do not have health insurance. -- Illinois's Medicaid program covers HPV testing -- newer technology, which screens for the cause of cervical cancer -- along with a Pap test in routine screening of women age 30 and older.

Sen. Halvorson said, "While 87.4 percent of Illinois women say they were screened in the last three years, all women must be screened regularly and be educated about cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes it. Furthermore, we must better ensure that our screening programs use the most advanced and appropriate screening technologies available -- such as HPV testing -- which can improve upon the traditional Pap test in identifying women needing early intervention. I look forward to advancing the work of our Cervical Cancer Elimination Task Force this year in order to help ensure that no more Illinois women die of cervical cancer."

Also, according to the report: -- 20 states and the District of Columbia improved their grades and only two states' grades declined since 2005. -- No state received an "excellent" grade. -- Minnesota received the highest score of 81 percent (13 out of 16 measured points), followed by Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina and Rhode Island, each with 75 percent. -- Tennessee received the lowest score (38 percent), followed by California, Idaho, Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia (each with 44 percent).

The report is part of the national Challenge to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Campaign, launched in 2004 by Women In Government, a Washington, DC-based organization representing state-level elected women officials. The organization's bi-partisan membership seeks to eliminate cervical cancer and is engaging legislators nationwide to help achieve this goal. To date, 42 states have introduced legislation or resolutions targeting cervical cancer elimination and 36 states have enacted such measures.

Approximately 80 percent of adults will contract HPV, the cause of cervical cancer, at some point in their lives. In the majority of women, the virus is cleared naturally by the body. But in certain cases, high-risk types of HPV persist -- sometimes staying dormant in the body for months or even years before it becomes active -- with the potential to cause cell changes on the cervix that can ultimately become cancerous. These persistent infections are most commonly found in women 30 and older.

Research shows that the Pap test's ability to detect cervical cancer or its early signs ranges from 51 to 85 percent. The FDA recently approved a new screening test for HPV infections, which, when used in conjunction with a Pap test in women age 30 and older, increases the accuracy of the Pap to almost 100 percent. If the FDA approves an HPV vaccine and it were widely used, it could contribute significantly to the reduction of cervical cancer worldwide.

Women In Government is a national, 501(c)(3), non-profit, bi-partisan organization of women state legislators providing leadership opportunities, networking, expert forums and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues. For more information, visit http://www.womeningovernment.org/.

Sen. Halvorson spearheaded efforts in 2004 to pass a bill creating a Cervical Cancer Elimination Task Force for Illinois. The task force, comprised of cervical cancer experts, public health officials and others, is charged with promoting awareness of cervical cancer, the virus that causes it, and the need for screening, as well as ensuring that all women in Illinois are screened using the most up-to-date techniques available -- such as HPV testing -- regardless of their socioeconomic status.

For a copy of the full report or for more information on Women In Government's "Challenge to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Campaign," Visit http://www.womeningovernment.org/prevention. CONTACT: Mike Wilson +1-217-785-9484 mwilson@sendem.state.il.us Tracy Morris +1-650-473-1272 tracy@morrismarcom.com

Women In Government

CONTACT: Mike Wilson, +1-217-785-9484, or mwilson@sendem.state.il.us; orTracy Morris, +1-650-473-1272, or tracy@morrismarcom.com, for Women InGovernment

Web site: http://www.womeningovernment.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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