'Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime'
                                                      National Lieutenant Governors Association
                                                                          MISSOURI

MEDIA ADVISORY   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   January 24, 2007
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder to Raise Awareness for Cervical Cancer
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

COLUMBIA—Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder will hold a press conference at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon to raise awareness for cervical cancer.  This event will promote a statewide strategic plan underway to distribute 8,000 educational packets about cervical cancer and its prevention and treatment.  Media availability will immediately follow the press conference.  WHO: Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder   Dr. William Crist—Hugh E. and Sarah D. Stephenson Dean, MU School of Medicine  Dr. Charles Caldwell—Director of Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and CRC Missouri Chair in Cancer Research, MU School of Medicine  Dr. Melissa Lawson—Adolescent Medicine Specialist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, MU School of Medicine   Brian Butcher—Income Development Specialist, American Cancer Society   WHERE:   University of Missouri School of Medicine  1101 Hospital Drive Conference Room M-243  WHEN:     January 25, 2007, 1:30 PM

December 7, 2006
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder to Promote Cervical Cancer Awareness

JEFFERSON CITY—Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder will be holding a press conference in Kansas City at 1:45 tomorrow to raise awareness for cervical cancer.  This event kicks off a statewide strategic plan to distribute 8,000 educational packets about cervical cancer and its prevention and treatment.    Media availability will immediately follow the press conference. 

WHO:      Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder
Dr. Richard Derman, Associate Dean for Women’s Health—Truman Medical Center
Randy Linduff, Chief Staff Officer of Field Operations—American Cancer Society

WHERE: American Cancer Society—Kansas City Corporate Office
1100 Pennsylvania Ave. 

WHEN:   December 8, 2006, 1:45 PM
For more information, contact Bill Fix, Asst. Communications Director for Lt. Gov. Kinder @ 573-751-4727 or Bill.Fix@ltgov.mo.gov


For Immediate Release
December 8, 2006
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder Raises

Kansas City, MO—Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder was in Kansas City today to begin distribution of 8,000 educational packets and beading kits regarding a nearly preventable cancer which affects women.  Today’s event at the American Cancer Society Kansas City Corporate office was the first step in circulating thousands of packets to educate Missourians on cervical cancer.  “The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) is working to ‘End Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime’,” said Lt. Governor Kinder.  “The American Cancer Society shows the U.S. death rate from cervical cancer down over the past few years, but the rate of invasive cervical cancer is up.”  According to the American Cancer Society, 9,700 American women are expected to have developed cervical cancer this year, and about 3,700 will die from it.  “Given these statistics and the fact that cervical cancer is almost preventable, I am proud to be part of this campaign,” said Kinder.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV) causes 99.7% of all cervical cancer cases.  Most sexually active adults will be infected with HPV at some point in their life.  There are many types of HPV spread by skin to skin contact in the genital area.  HPV causes no symptoms and usually goes away on its own.  However, high-risk HPV which stays in the body a period of years can cause cervical cancer.  The HPV causes cells to change leading to cancer.  Cervical cancer can be prevented or cured by removing the abnormal cells before they become cancerous.  A Pap test can detect the abnormal cells.  Often, there are no early symptoms, so the National Women’s Health Resource Center advises women to have pap tests done regularly.  “By helping people make the connection between the virus and the cancer, there is a real opportunity to end cervical cancer,” said Kinder.  Lt. Governor Kinder will pass out 8,000 educational brochures and bead kits directly to interested Missourians.   In addition, he is requesting press outlets to run stories on the preventable nature of this cancer.  The facts as outlined in the NLGA educational kit are as follows:  The surest prevention of HPV infection is abstinence.  If one becomes sexually active, limiting the number of sexual partners decreases the chance of infection.  Use of condoms can reduce, but will not eliminate, the chance of HPV infection.  Medical experts urge women to commit to a Pap test regularly.  “Low-cost and free Pap tests are available,” said Kinder.  “Missourians can call the Show Me Healthy Women program at (573) 522-2845 to reach this state’s effort to provide breast and cervical cancer screenings for low-income, uninsured, and underserved women.  These free screenings are a vital tool in helping women to feel good about themselves and their health.”  More cervical cancer information is available at www.maketheconnection.org, www.cancer.org, www.nlga.us, and www.dhss.mo.gov/BreastCervCancer.