Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2021
Bill: S.699 | Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco (R-FL)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an interagency review of the status of women and lung cancer. The review must

To require a review of women and lung cancer, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Women and Lung Cancer Research and 
Preventive Services Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) According to the American Cancer Society, in the United 
        States, approximately 171 women die each day of lung cancer, or 
        about one woman every 8.4 minutes.
            (2) Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among 
        women.
            (3) The American Cancer Society estimates that 62,470 women 
        will die of lung cancer in 2021.
            (4) Studies have shown a higher incidence rate of lung 
        cancer for women who were never smokers compared to men who 
        were never smokers.
            (5) According to the American Cancer Society, new cases of 
        lung cancer dropped by 3 percent per year in men from 2011 to 
        2015, while new cases in women only dropped 1.5 percent per 
        year in the same time period.
            (6) According to the 2014 report, ``The Health Consequences 
        of Smoking--50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon 
        General, 2014'', the relative risk of developing lung cancer 
        increased tenfold among female smokers between 1959 and 2010.
            (7) According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 
        40 percent of lung cancers are adenocarcinoma, a subtype of 
        non-small cell lung cancer, which is the most common type of 
        cancer seen in non-smokers and is more common in women than in 
        men.
            (8) According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 
        exposure to radon accounts for approximately 21,000 deaths from 
        lung cancer each year and is the leading cause of lung cancer 
        in non-smokers.
            (9) A Government Accountability Office report published on 
        October 22, 2015, called for the National Institutes of Health 
        to do more in evaluating gender differences in research.
            (10) Additional research strategies, including clinical 
        trials, are necessary to explore the differences in lung cancer 
        risk factors, incidence, and treatment response in women, and 
        to address the disparate impact of lung cancer on women who 
        have never smoked.
            (11) Lung cancer screening, which can detect lung cancer at 
        its earliest, most curable stage, is a covered service 
        available without cost-sharing for those at high risk.
            (12) Published peer-reviewed actuarial studies indicate 
        that lung cancer screening individuals at high risk may be 
        cost-effective.
            (13) The National Framework of Excellence in Lung Cancer 
        Screening and Continuum of Care, launched in 2012, demonstrated 
        that lung cancer screening can be safely and effectively 
        carried out in community hospital settings around the Nation.
            (14) Information on the impact of lung cancer on women and 
        the importance of early detection should be incorporated into 
        all relevant public health awareness campaigns.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING WOMEN AND LUNG CANCER.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) there is a disparate impact of lung cancer on women 
        and, in particular, on women who have never smoked;
            (2) additional research strategies to explore the 
        differences in women with respect to lung cancer risk factors, 
        incidence, histology, and response to treatment are justified 
        and necessary;
            (3) the implementation of lung cancer preventive services 
        for women should be accelerated; and
            (4) the public health agencies of the Federal Government 
        should coordinate public education and awareness programs on 
        the impact of lung cancer on women and the importance of early 
        detection.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY REVIEW TO EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR 
              THE ACCELERATION OF RESEARCH ON WOMEN AND LUNG CANCER, 
              GREATER ACCESS TO PREVENTIVE SERVICES, AND STRATEGIC 
              PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, shall conduct an interagency review to evaluate the status of, 
and identify opportunities related to--
            (1) research on women and lung cancer;
            (2) access to lung cancer preventive services; and
            (3) strategic public awareness and education campaigns on 
        lung cancer.
    (b) Content.--The review and recommendations under subsection (a) 
shall include--
            (1) a review and comprehensive report on the outcomes of 
        previous research, the status of existing research activities, 
        and knowledge gaps related to women and lung cancer in all 
        agencies of the Federal Government;
            (2) specific opportunities for collaborative, interagency, 
        multidisciplinary, and innovative research, that would--
                    (A) encourage innovative approaches to eliminate 
                knowledge gaps in research;
                    (B) evaluate environmental and genomic factors that 
                may be related to the etiology of lung cancer in women; 
                and
                    (C) foster advances in imaging technology to 
                improve risk assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and the 
                simultaneous application of other preventive services;
            (3) opportunities regarding the development of a national 
        lung cancer screening strategy with sufficient infrastructure 
        and personnel resources to expand access to such screening, 
        particularly among underserved populations; and
            (4) opportunities regarding the development of a national 
        public education and awareness campaign on women and lung 
        cancer and the importance of early detection of lung cancer.
    (c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
submit to Congress a report on the review conducted under subsection 
(a).
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