Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-12.6-2. Preamble

Ovarian cancer is a dangerous threat to the female population in the state as one in every fifty-five (55) women is stricken with the disease;  three-quarters ( 3/4 ) of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed after the disease has reached advanced stages (3rd or 4th stage) and fifty percent (50%) of women die within five (5) years of diagnosis.  When ovarian cancer is detected in its early stages, the survival rate is ninety-two percent (92%).  The overwhelming majority of women who get ovarian cancer have no known risk factors.  Ovarian cancer symptoms are subtle and easily confused with symptoms of other disorders.  The result is most often women do not recognize the symptoms, the result of which is often fatal.  The Rhode Island General Assembly declares it a matter of public health and urgency to declare war on ovarian cancer in Rhode Island and creates the “Rhode Island Ovarian Cancer Evaluation, Detection, and Prevention Act”.