INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – March 21, 2017 – Today, the State Senate unanimously approved House Bill 1278, which directs the Indiana State Department of Health to identify and address barriers to cervical cancer screening and treatment. The bill now moves to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk for further consideration.
In response, Bryan Hannon, Indiana government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network released the following statement:
“The General Assembly took critical action today to improve Hoosier women’s health and reduce cervical cancer incidence and death rates in our state. We’d like to thank our lawmakers – especially the bill’s author Representative Sharon Negele and sponsor Senator Jean Leising – for prioritizing cancer patients and those at risk of the disease.
“Despite advancements in prevention and screening, Indiana’s cervical cancer incidence and death rates have remained stagnant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 93 percent of cervical cancers could be prevented with regular screening and HPV vaccination. But Indiana still ranks 45th in the nation in the percentage of women who have received a Pap test in the last three years, and more than 55 percent of Hoosier girls and 87 percent of Hoosier boys still have not received the full HPV vaccine.
“Because it frequently shows no symptoms, early detection is critical to a patient surviving cervical cancer. And with this legislation, Indiana will be able to stay ahead of this ‘silent killer.’ We thank the General Assembly for their hard work and look forward to seeing Governor Holcomb take action on this bill.”