'Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime'
National Lieutenant Governors Association
MICHIGAN
Detroit News
January 31, 2007
Officials: Require vaccine for girls
Lawmakers reintroduce bills to get 11- and 12-year-olds immunized against virus
linked to cervical cancer.
Michigan lawmakers announced Tuesday a new push to
require 11- and 12-year-old girls to be immunized against a sexually transmitted
virus that is linked to cervical cancer. A bipartisan group of Senate and House
lawmakers has reintroduced legislation adding the new vaccine, called Gardasil,
to the list of those required for schoolchildren. It would be given to girls
entering the sixth grade. Similar legislation was thwarted during the last
legislative session in December by a Republican-led group in the House who said
the requirement interferes with parental rights and could encourage premarital
sex. "We really have the power to prevent one of the deadliest diseases that
women can face," said Sen. Deborah Cherry, D-Burton. Cherry and Sen. Tony Stamas,
R-Midland, are chief sponsors of the legislation, which is co-sponsored by 20 of
the Senate's 38 members. Rep. Brenda Clack, D-Flint, is the chief sponsor of a
similar House bill. Gardasil, approved by the Food and Drug Administration last
year, protects against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, linked to
about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. A government advisory panel has
recommended that all girls get the shots at 11 or 12, before they are likely to
be sexually active. Michigan's legislation meshes with a campaign by the state
health department to educate girls and women about the risks of cervical cancer.
Lt. Gov. John Cherry, the brother of Sen. Cherry, is leading the effort. But
opposition remains from such lawmakers as Rep. John Stahl, R-West Branch. He
argues that the vaccine is readily available to families now and that parents
should be allowed to decide whether they want it for their children.
Wiping Out
Cervical Cancer
WLIX Ch 10, January 18, 2007
Reporter:
Jessica Aspiras
Gynecologist
Dr. Thomas Petroff says 60 to 80 percent of his patients under the age of 35,
who are sexually active have contracted the sexually transmitted disease human
papillomavirus. And it's the same statistic for other gynecologists offices
across the country. "The virus is kind of weird and it can be around and
dormant for years before a woman even knows she has it or a man for that
matter."
But those high percentages mean an increase in the number of cases of cervical
cancer. Because HPV is the leading cause of the disease. That's why the
Governor's Task Force on Cervical Cancer is now focused on wiping out the
illness through education, prevention, and early detection. Lt. Governor John
Cherry says, "To develop wide, broad public awareness, we got to just keep
beating the drum and reminding people."
According to Michigan
Surgeon General Kimberlydawn Wisdom, "The number one primary risk factor is
exposure to HPV. So if you're protected and limit yourself to being exposed to
HPV, that's the best way to prevent cervical cancer." "If you go get a pap
smear and get screened every year, if you follow those recommendations, you have
a really good chance of getting rid of it, " explains Sen. Deborah Cherry,
D-Oakland. And all of the initiatives says, Wisdom, offer hope to future
generations. "It's not unrealistic to think that perhaps in our lifetime or not
much longer thereafter, that cervical cancer can actually be eradicated."
WZZM 13, Grand Rapids
State Task Force Announces Recommendations for reducing cervical cancer
Sarah Sell
Created: 1/17/2007 5:49:00 PM
State health officials and legislators have new plans on how to raise awareness
of cervical cancer. They gathered at the state capitol Wednesday to make the
announcement. The task force says it will require some work, but they believe
that cervical cancer can be eliminated. The group was formed by the governor in
2006.
What the task force found is that 99% of the cases are preventable, yet women
die from it every year. One of their recommendations is to try to reduce health
disparities among racial and ethnic groups. They are at higher risk for the
disease. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, the Michigan Surgeon General says, "If we
increase screening rates and decrease risk factors among the population of
women, we can catch more cases that are treatable, or prevent them in the first
place."
The task force also believes that we need to develop a plan with the states
Medicaid program to increase testing. The group will soon start distributing
bracelets to raise awareness and will also include educational literature. The
awareness campaign and task force recommendations come just a few months after a
bill passed the state senate, but failed in the state house. The bill would have
required young girls to get a vaccine that would prevent the human
papillomavirus. That's the virus that causes 99% of the cases of cervical
cancer.
The task force believes that every woman, no matter what her background is, can
be at risk of getting the deadly disease. They believe that the young girls of
today could eventually live in a world free of cervical cancer. Senator Deborah
Cherry says, "With appropriate screening, vaccinations and the work this task
force is doing, it's very possible that girls will never be faced with cervical
cancer."
Free Press, Lansing Bureau
Cervical cancer cases can be cut in half, Granholm task force concludes
January 17, 2007
By Chris Christoff
Cervical cancer cases can be cut in half by 2010 through wider use of Pap test
screening and a new vaccination against the virus that causes 99% of cervical
cancer cases, a governor’s task force says. Seventy percent of those who die of
cervical cancer have not had a Pap test to detect it, said Janet Olszwewski,
director of the Michigan Department of Community Health.
State Surgeon General Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom said early detection through Pap
tests is the key to eliminating cervical cancer, which can be easily detected by
a Pap test and then treated.
The task force reported that 118 women in Michigan died of cervical cancer in
2004. The task force reported that Hispanic women are twice as likely to
contract cervical cancer, which is caused almost exclusively by the
papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus. A Pap test can detect the
virus before it develops into a cancer.
It also reported that smoking increases the likelihood that a woman will
contract the disease. About half of all women who are sexually active are
infected by HPV, although most infections clear up quickly, according to the
report. The task force recommends that the state increase Pap testing among
women eligible for Medicaid, which pays for the test. The report calls for
encouraging the use of a new vaccine against HPV.
A bill requiring HPV vaccinations for middle school girls was narrowly defeated
in the state House in December, after passing the Senate. Lawmakers promoting
the bill predicted Wednesday that it will pass in the new Legislature. The
vaccine prevents cancer from two strains of HPV that cause 70% of all cervical
cancer cases. The elimination of cervical cancer is a priority for the
National Lieutenant Governors Association, which has launched a program to
increase awareness of prevention procedures, said Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry.
More information can be obtained by calling 800-353-8227, or at the state web
site,
www.healthymichigan.com (click on cancer icon).
January 17, 2007
Michigan State web site
Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr., state health officials, and members of
Governor Granholm's task force on cervical cancer today announced new
recommendations to reduce cervical cancer in Michigan. Lt. Governor Cherry also
announced the launch of an educational initiative sponsored by the National
Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA).
The recommendations - contained in the Governor's Task Force on Cervical Cancer
Report - outline key strategies the state of Michigan, health care providers,
cancer prevention advocacy groups, and others will use to improve public
awareness and reduce cervical cancer rates statewide. "The task force has
clearly outlined a comprehensive blueprint that will allow us to significantly
reduce the incidence of cervical cancer over the long term," said Janet
Olszewski, director of the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). "We
believe embracing the recommendations contained in the report will help to
prevent cervical cancer and save thousands of lives that are ended needlessly by
this disease."
In creating the Cervical Cancer Task Force (CCTF), Governor Granholm charged
them with identifying ways to increase public awareness and reduce cervical
cancer incidence and mortality for Michigan women through policies that promote
primary and secondary prevention.
Recommendations of the task force include: - The Michigan Department of
Community Health should develop strategies in concert with the Michigan Cancer
Consortium's Cervical Cancer Advisory Committee to reduce health disparities
related to cervical cancer. - MDCH should develop a plan within the state's
Medicaid program to increase pap testing rates among enrollees. - Michigan
should require that all publicly funded programs adopt national recommendations
for the HPV vaccine. - Michigan should take steps to increase awareness of the
risks associated with cervical cancer. The task force was composed of
representatives of the American Cancer Society, health care providers, state
government officials, legislators and others. In response to the call for
increased awareness, Michigan has recognized January as Cervical Cancer
Awareness Month. Lt. Governor John D. Cherry Jr. also announced today that the
National Lieutenant Governors Association has selected cervical cancer awareness
as their public issue campaign for 2007. The program, "Ending Cervical Cancer
in Our Lifetime," will make thousands of free educational packets available to
help Michigan citizens better understand the risks associated with cervical
cancer. "The National Lieutenant Governors Association is working to "End
Cervical Cancer in our lifetime," Cherry said. "Cervical cancer is almost 100
percent preventable. Increased public understanding about how the disease
develops, how it is detected, and how it can be treated gives us a real
opportunity to end cervical cancer."
The educational packets - which include an information brochure from the NLGA,
fact sheets about cervical cancer, and a beading kit to construct awareness
bracelets - are available by calling 1-800-353-8227 or by visiting
www.healthymichigan.com and clicking on the
cancer icon. Because Michigan is limited to 8,000 packets, there is a limit of
10 packets per request. Cervical cancer is a disease that strikes hundreds of
Michigan women each year. The primary cause of cervical cancer is the Human
Papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United
States. It can be detected even before the cancer develops through a Pap test,
which is an important part of a woman's routine health care. "Regular Pap
testing is the key to preventing deaths from cervical cancer," said Dr.
Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Michigan's surgeon general. "It is important that women
receive regular Pap tests because cervical cancer often has no symptoms."
Regular testing is critical because most cervical cancers are slow-growing and
develop over a long period of time. During this time, abnormal cervical tissue
can be detected easily by a Pap test and then removed by a health care provider
before the abnormal tissue develops into cancer. Early detection and treatment
of cervical abnormalities improve chances that the treatment will be successful.
In June 2006, the FDA approved a vaccine that prevents against two strains of
HPV that are responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancers. This vaccine
is recommended for females age 9 to 26. "Although the HPV vaccine protects
against the two HPV strains that are responsible for 70 percent of cervical
cancer, women still need regular Pap testing, even if they received the HPV
vaccine," said Carolyn Johnston, M.D., chair of the Michigan Cancer Consortium's
Cervical Cancer Advisory Committee. Women ages 40 to 64 who are uninsured or
underinsured and whose incomes are at or below 250 percent of the federal
poverty level may be eligible to obtain free Pap tests through the Michigan
Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP).
For more information on the BCCCP or to locate the nearest BCCCP screening site,
call 1-800-922-6266.