Boyle & Fitzpatrick Applaud House Passing Their Bill to Study and Prevent Lung Cancer Among Women

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressmen Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-02) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) announced that the House of Representatives has passed their bipartisan Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act. This bill addresses the unique impact of lung cancer on women through enhanced research, preventive services, and public awareness. The legislation now moves to the Senate, where a companion bill is led by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

"Every eight minutes, an American woman loses her life to lung cancer. The status quo is unacceptable - and with the passage of our bipartisan bill, we have taken a significant step forward in the fight against lung cancer," said Congressman Boyle. "We are taking action to address the persistent disparities in lung cancer prevention and treatment, particularly for women. I'll continue working across the aisle to ensure that Congress delivers the research and action needed to confront this horrible disease."

"Today's bipartisan House passage of our Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act sends a clear message: we are united in the fight for women's health and we will not allow it to remain an afterthought in our nation's cancer response," said Congressman Fitzpatrick. "Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death among women, often striking women who have never smoked, yet our research, prevention, and public awareness efforts have not kept pace with that reality. Rep. Boyle and I have worked together for years to elevate this issue, and today's vote is real progress-but it cannot be the last step. I look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues in the Senate on this, because in a fight measured in lives, delay is not neutral."

"This bipartisan legislation represents a critical step toward closing longstanding gaps in lung cancer research and addressing outdated assumptions about who is at risk," said GO2 for Lung Cancer Interim Co-CEO Danielle Hicks. "We urgently need a better understanding of why more young, otherwise healthy women with no traditional risk factors are developing this disease. Advancing this research will help clarify risk, improve early detection, and ensure patients and their families get the answers they deserve, benefiting everyone impacted by lung cancer."

"The Act advances our understanding of lung cancer while addressing stigma at its roots-replacing blame with evidence and ensuring all at-risk patients are represented in research and have access to preventive services," said Elridge Proctor, Senior Director of Government Affairs at GO2 for Lung Cancer. "We extend our sincere gratitude to Representatives Brendan Boyle and Brian Fitzpatrick for elevating lung cancer as a national priority."

This legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services-working in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs-to conduct a comprehensive interagency review of lung cancer in women. The review will assess current research, evaluate women's access to preventive services, and support public awareness campaigns. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women and disproportionately affects women who have never smoked.

The full text of the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act is available here.

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