Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a new bill that she says answers a simple question: What is a woman?

The bill from state Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Leeds, and Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would adjust state law to explicitly define "man," "woman," "boy," "girl," "father," "mother," "male," female" and "sex."

It cleared the legislature in Montgomery on Wednesday.

"If the Good Lord made you a boy, you’re a boy. And if He made you a girl, you’re a girl," Ivey said in a signing statement from the Capitol.

"In Alabama, we believe there are two genders: Male and female. There is nothing complicated or controversial about it."

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON REFUSES TO DEFINE THE WORD 'WOMAN'

"Today, I was proud to officially answer the question "What is a Woman?" with my signature on Senate Bill 79. It did not take a biologist to figure it out."

In comments to Fox News Digital, Ivey said prior to the signing: "In Alabama, it does not take a biologist to answer the question: What is a woman?"

During Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing, the jurist told Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn she could not define the term "woman." "In this context – I’m not a biologist," Brown Jackson said. 

"There are only two genders: Male and female," Ivey told Fox News Digital.

The law would require the government to collect vital statistics to identify a person's sex at birth and "delete obsolete or unnecessary definitions and make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style."

"For purposes of state law, a ‘female’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova, and a ‘male’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female," a draft of the bill published on a government site read.

WOMANHOOD IS NOT A GAME OF SEMANTICS, ATTORNEY SAYS

Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter told Fox News Digital on Thursday the Yellowhammer State is one that "refuses to back down from commonsense conservative values."

"We believe boys should play against boys and girls should play against girls. We believe that men have no business using the girls’ restroom," said Ledbetter, R-Rainsville.

Ledbetter said every human is made in the image of God and their gender is defined by Him.

"I am proud that the House has passed Rep. Susan DuBose’s ‘What Is a Woman Act’ and look forward to Governor Ivey signing it into law," he said.

DuBose told Fox News Digital she is grateful to know that her children and future generations in Alabama will not have to worry about losing opportunities to men:

"I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this bill pass the legislature," DuBose said. 

"Alabamians know what a woman is, and we have fought hard to ensure our laws do too. I am grateful to all my colleagues for their support in finally getting this bill to Governor Ivey’s desk, and I look forward to watching her sign it into law."

The bill does have its opponents, including the ACLU of Alabama.

"We oppose House Bill 405. The ‘What is a Woman’ Act seeks to answer a question that is contextualized by far more than biological gender norms that this bill seeks to codify," a statement from the group read.

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"The bill establishes a stringent assertion of the definition of a man or woman that completely cuts transgender people out of the picture. This bill attempts to place antiquated gender assumptions as a rule of law."

The group added that the legislation will make it more difficult for transgender people to "authentically" live life.

Democrats, including state Reps. Barbara Drummond of Mobile and Napoleon Bracy of Pritchard, also objected to the bill only being slated for 10 minutes of floor debate.

The Blackburn-Jackson incident and ensuing public debate also led conservative commentator Matt Walsh to produce a documentary on the matter called "What is a Woman?"

When the issue first came up in the Jackson hearing, Blackburn said the jurist being unable to give a "straight answer" about "something as fundamental as what a woman is" underscores the dangers of progressive education.

Blackburn suggested that biological male athletes should not be allowed to compete against women.

The woman who gave birth on a New York City subway has been identified as a missing Florida woman who was last seen in August, according to reports.

The ex-boyfriend of 25-year-old Jenny Saint Pierre reported her missing on Aug. 5, 2024, according to the Hallandale Beach Police Department.

"MISSING PERSON ALERT. We need your help to locate 25-year-old Jenny Saint Pierre, missing since August, 5, 2024," a previous post on X from police read.

"Please share and help bring Jenny home safely."

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Investigators told CBS News Miami that Pierre was schizophrenic and that she could be in danger. Pierre's family also expressed concern to police, saying that she was "excited about becoming a mother," but were worried something may have happened to her. 

Pierre's ex-boyfriend told her sister that they had an argument, which made her angry, and then she left, the outlet reported.

However, Pierre's family's worst fears were debunked on Wednesday after she made national headlines.

New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said just after 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a train conductor was notified by numerous passengers that a woman had given birth inside a subway car.

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Video obtained by Fox News Digital from a passenger on board captured the situation.

"POV: You're headed to work, and you witness someone giving birth on the train," a caption over the video read. 

Witnesses told the New York Times that, thanks to the swift actions of some good Samaritans, Pierre was taken care of after they jumped in to help deliver the baby before EMS arrived. 

Crichlow added that EMS transported Pierre and her new baby girl to a hospital. Both are said to be in good condition.

"This is another example of New Yorkers coming together to help each other, assisted by caring transit workers and other responders, reflecting the best of the subway community and this city," Crichlow said.

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"We are thrilled that both mother and Baby W are doing well, and look forward to welcoming both of them back aboard for a lifetime of reliable—and hopefully less dramatic—rides."    

Pierre’s mother told the Times that she was happy to learn that her daughter was safe and that she was a grandmother.

"I’ve been thinking about my daughter every day, praying every day that she’s OK, that her baby is OK," she told the newspaper. "I’m going to sleep good tonight."

She added that her daughter and new granddaughter could return home anytime and that their entire family would be waiting for them. 

"We will always be there for her, and for her baby," she said.

It was not immediately known why Pierre fled to New York or how long she was living there. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Hallandale Beach Police Department but did not immediately receive a response. 

Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita contributed to this report. 

Linda McMahon made her stance clear on trans inclusion in women's and girls' sports during her confirmation hearing for education secretary on Thursday.

"I do not believe that biological boys should be able to compete against girls in sports, and I think now that certainly not only have the people spoken, because that was something that Trump ran very heavily on, but I believe the court has spoken," McMahon said. 

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A national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America (CWA) legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of "Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls and women’s bathrooms," as important to them. And 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was "very important."

Trump vowed during his 2024 campaign to ban trans athletes from women's and girls' sports. Trump made good on that promise early when he signed the No Men in Women's Sports executive order on Feb. 5. 

Prior to that, the Supreme Court ruled in August to deny a Biden administration emergency request to enforce portions of the former president's Title IX rewrites that would allow biological males in women's and girls' changing rooms. 

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And as McMahon looks to get confirmed as education secretary, she insists on carrying out the original mission of Title IX, and keeping women's sports for biological females. 

"We are really back to what Title IX was originally established to do and that was to protect social discrimination. Women should feel safe in their locker rooms. They should feel safe in their spaces. They shouldn't have to be exposed to men undressing in front of them," McMahon said Thursday. 

"I heard one person the other day say, ‘Well, guys should just hold the shower curtain in front of them so that they aren’t exposing themselves.' I mean really, that's just not what we should be doing. We should be making sure that Title IX, which is the law, should be enforced." 

The Biden administration education secretary, Miguel Angel Cardona, supported allowing trans athletes to compete in women's and girls' sports. 

Cardona helped draft the Title IX changes that would have prohibited blanket bans of transgender athletes on public school teams. 

In a June 2021 interview with ESPN, Cardona said "transgender girls have a right to compete."

"Our LGBTQ students have endured more harassment than most other groups. It's critically important that we stand with them and give them opportunities to engage in what every other child can engage in without harassment," Cardona said. 

"It's their right as a student to participate in these activities. And we know sports does more than just put ribbons on the first-, second- and third-place winner," he said. "We know that it provides opportunities for students to become a part of a team, to learn a lot about themselves, to set goals and reach them and to challenge themselves. Athletics provides that in our K-12 systems and in our colleges, and all students deserve an opportunity to engage in that."

Now, under the Trump administration, there will be multiple layers of efforts to prevent trans athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports, and McMahon's agenda will be one of those layers if she is confirmed. 

A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. Of the 2,128 people polled, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. 

Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.

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A woman who suffered intensely painful periods for some 20 years was finally diagnosed with a revealing ailment — helping to clear up a mystery that began plaguing her even before she became a teenager.

Jen Moore, 35, a former wedding cake baker, said she was unable to stand up straight when she first began experiencing painful periods as a girl of 11 years old.

She said doctors put her on birth control pills to try to reduce her periods, according to news agency SWNS — but that didn't alleviate her pain over the years.

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She was informed by doctors that what she was experiencing was "normal," she told the news agency — and that she was just someone who was "unlucky" to have painful menstrual periods.

But during the COVID lockdown, when she came off the contraceptives after 22 years, she said she "didn't recognize the person she became" and would often pass out from the pain and blood loss.

When she went to a physician due to her menstrual pain and had an ultrasound, she was told that no endometriosis had been detected, she told SWNS.

Not satisfied, Moore, of Cambridge, England, paid on her own to have an MRI scan.

She was ultimately diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis, conditions in which the lining of the uterus grows in places where it should not be.

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Said Moore, "At the time, I thought it was normal because I didn't know any different."

When she was young, she said, her mother took her to see doctors — and Moore said she was told that her painful periods eventually would stop.

She said doctors told her that even if she did have endometriosis, "all they would do is put me on the pill."

She also said that today she still feels "rage" at what happened to her.

"I also feel heartbroken," she told SWNS, "thinking about myself as an 11-year-old who had no idea she was about to go through so many of these things."

She added, "I feel hope that generations are standing up and that they don't want to tolerate this anymore."

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Yet "I feel that it shouldn't have to fall to the patients to do that," she also said.

Moore said that even now, she feels "exhausted" and that there "isn't an area of my life" that this hasn't touched.

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She said that even though she had painful periods for so long, she wanted to go to college and try to live as normal a life as possible, "despite being bed-bound" for about a week every month. 

She has learned, she said, that she has endometriosis on her bowels and her bladder — "it's everywhere again, it's just relentless."

She said she's had "this condition damaging her organs for 22 years — that's a lot of damage to unpick, so surgeries are never magic and [don't] always provide a pain-free life."

"Unfortunately," she said, "there is still a lot of endometriosis for me."

Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women, told SWNS, "Endometriosis is a condition that affects the lives of many women, often for years before a diagnosis is made … For too long, women's pain has been dismissed or misunderstood."

There is an "urgent need," she said, "for greater awareness, early diagnosis, and better support for those living with the condition."

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Last year, Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin, discussed her recovery from surgery following an endometriosis diagnosis. 

Irwin, 26, said her "inescapable" pain was dismissed by doctors for 10 years as she was tested for all kinds of diseases.

"I was tested for everything," Irwin told People magazine last summer. "Every tropical disease, Lyme disease, cancer, you name it. I had every blood test and scan imaginable."

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Endometriosis, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a condition "in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, grow outside the uterus," as Fox News Digital previously reported.

"Endometriosis often involves the pelvic tissue and can envelop the ovaries and fallopian tubes."

The condition can be severely painful for those suffering from it — and it can impact fertility and menstruation.

Lauryn Overhultz of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

If there’s one thing you learn playing sports, it’s persistence. Disciplining yourself to keep trying, keep practicing, keep competing. You win, a lot of times, because you kept going a little longer, kept pushing yourself a little harder, than the other people on the court or field or track with you.

I’m learning that it’s the same way with the law. You get the good laws passed – and the bad ones put away – mostly by hanging in there. You put the truth in front of enough people, plead your case to enough judges and to enough people, and there’s a pretty good chance justice will win, whether in the courtroom or the court of public opinion.

As women trying to keep men out of our private spaces and our sports, a lot of my fellow athletes and I know our days fighting for common sense aren’t done yet… but we are grateful for some big victories we’ve won just this month in court, in Congress, and, now, in the White House, with President Donald Trump’s new executive order upholding the biological reality that men and women are different and safeguarding intimate spaces for women and girls.

One of those big court wins came in Kentucky, where a federal district court – ruling in the case of State of Tennessee v. Cardona – finally stopped the Biden administration’s attempt to rewrite Title IX. (Title IX was created in the early 1970s to prevent discrimination "on the basis of sex" in public schools.)

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The Biden rule insisted that "sex" must include gender identity – so schools receiving government money had to let male athletes into women’s locker rooms, restrooms, showers, and even their bedrooms on overnight team trips.

It’s not safe, it takes away our privacy, and it doesn’t make any sense. The Kentucky judge saw all that and ruled accordingly, wiping away the Biden Title IX rule nationwide. It was a huge win, and women all over the country are celebrating. With that rule gone, now states and the federal government have the green light to carry out good policies protecting women.

More so than most, I had good reason to celebrate that court decision. Tennessee v. Cardona was my case. After years of successfully competing on my middle school track team, running the 4 x 100 relay, pole-vaulting, and throwing shot put and discus, I watched all of that go away in eighth grade. Suddenly, a boy one grade behind me identified as a girl, joined my team, started entering all my events, and eventually grew into a track-and-field powerhouse.

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In just three years, he displaced nearly 300 in competition, beating us more than 700 times. That wasn’t all. In between practices and events, he was in our locker rooms and beside us out on the field, watching us change clothes and making crude, sometimes threatening sexual comments to me.

Sports stopped being fun – and stopped being fair. We knew we were walking out on the track just to lose. But whenever we talked to our administrators, nothing changed.

Tired of feeling vulnerable, embarrassed, frustrated and afraid, I decided I needed to stand up for myself and for other girls. 

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With the help of my attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom, I joined the other plaintiffs in Tennessee v. Cardona – and was thrilled when the judge ruled in favor of women’s privacy and safety. Finally, someone seemed to understand what girls like me have been up against.

And finally, it looks like some people in Washington, D.C., may understand, too.

On Jan. 14, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which basically says that allowing males to compete on women’s teams violates the original intent of Title IX. Now that bill is headed to the Senate.

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And most recently, President Trump – on his first day in office – signed an executive order affirming the definition of sex as male and female, a major step in protecting women’s sports.

All of that is in addition to 25 states that have now passed laws protecting women’s sports, and two lawsuits – one out of West Virginia and the other out of Idaho – have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the women’s sports issue for good.

After four years of barely being able to get anyone to listen to us, it’s like a dam is finally breaking. Common sense is coming back, and I’m thankful that Trump’s recent order recognizes the inherent differences between men and women.

But that’s what comes from persistence. And it gives me great hope that – as much work as there still is to do to restore women’s sports and women’s private spaces to women – we’re not alone anymore. We’ve got a lot of great players joining our team.

And we’re on the right track.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ADALEIA CROSS

As we gather today for the 52nd annual March for Life – the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration – we mark a time of new beginnings. Earlier this week our country welcomed a new presidential administration, and, closer to home, our organization also begins a new season of leadership. 

It has undoubtedly been the honor of a lifetime to serve this incredible organization – and the collective millions of marchers – for the past 12 years, but I am delighted to now pass this responsibility to Jennie Bradley Lichter, with confidence that she is the woman meant to lead the March for Life and the pro-life community in this next season.  

With such exciting changes, it is also good to recall what is unchangeable; the thing that draws countless people to Washington, D.C., year after year and that which makes the March for Life great. 

I’m referring to the foundational values that anchor our efforts, remembering that all human life, born and unborn, has inherent dignity and value that deserves to be protected and supported in families, communities and by law. The unborn are the poorest of the poor, the most vulnerable, and they are worthy of every possible protection we can offer. I can’t think of a more worthy cause. 

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This year’s theme, Life: Why We March, highlights our desire to refocus on these attractive, commonsense and basic fundamentals of life. These include the truth that each life has inherent dignity and that science shows that life begins at the moment of conception or fertilization. The heart of the pro-life movement is about providing the resources and support pregnant women and families need, and last, we need to continue to utilize the power of witness and storytelling to change hearts and minds.  

Science clearly shows that life begins at the moment of conception/fertilization. From that moment on a new human life in the womb possesses its own genetically unique DNA, different from its mother and father. At just six weeks, expectant parents can see and hear their child’s heartbeat and by 12 weeks all other organs have formed. 

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These are only a handful of the many moments of gestational development that give witness to the reality that each life is unrepeatable, inherently valuable, and deserving of our love and protection.   

Tragically, we live in a culture that presents confusing messages to women in this regard, presenting the false idea that abortion is necessary to flourish and succeed. Yet the tragic reality is that 60% of women who had abortions would have preferred to give birth if they felt they had the emotional or financial support they needed. 

Women need to know that they are strong and capable, and the pro-life community will love and support them long after their child is born. That’s why there are approximately 3,400 community-based maternity homes and pregnancy resource centers across America that help women in need who want to keep their children.  

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Denying the inherent value and dignity of unborn children through elective abortion has scarred innumerable women, families and doctors, and, of course, robbed us of hundreds of thousands of innocent and precious children each year. The speakers who address the March for Life this year, from a man who survived a botched abortion to a former abortionist, have come to share their testimony and shine light on the tragedy of abortion, while serving as a beacon of hope for our future.  

Sometimes we forget that abortion impacts real people for the rest of their lives. But by boldly sharing our stories, we can remind women and families around us that their lives, as well as their child’s, are worthy of love and protection. There is strength in our voices and power in our presence. 

We march for unborn children in the womb, all of whom deserve love and life. But being pro-life goes far beyond protecting those still in the womb; we stand by and support every struggling mother and family as they welcome new life into the world. We also march for the former abortionists, those who have survived abortions, and the women who have suffered the physical and emotional pain of abortion.  

Our message is simple, direct and clear: each human life from the moment of conception deserves our respect and protection, and we are here to support those lives every step of the way. The outpouring of love and support shown by the pro-life community must serve as a guiding light in the midst of so much darkness.  

So the world continues to change as it always will, but the goals of the March for Life remain steadfast and true. We will continue to affirm the beautiful truth that unborn children are equal members of our human family, offer resources and support to women and families in need, and let our witness tell the story that every human life is priceless and the tragedy of abortion harms us all. And that is why we march.  

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JEANNE MANCINI

A major annual cancer report has revealed a mix of good news and points of concern.

Cancer diagnoses are expected to exceed two million in 2025, with approximately 618,120 deaths predicted, according to the American Cancer Society’s annual cancer trends report, which was published today in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

ACS researchers compiled data from central cancer registries and from the National Center for Health Statistics.

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While mortality rates have declined, certain groups are seeing a spike in diagnoses, the report noted.

"Continued reductions in cancer mortality because of drops in smoking, better treatment and earlier detection is certainly great news," said lead author Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director of surveillance research at the ACS in Georgia, in a press release.

"However, this progress is tempered by rising incidences in young and middle-aged women, who are often the family caregivers, and a shifting cancer burden from men to women, harkening back to the early 1900s, when cancer was more common in women."

Cancer death rates dropped 34% between 1991 and 2022, according to the ACS report.

That equates to approximately 4.5 million deaths avoided due to early detection, reductions in smoking, and improvements in treatment, the report stated.

Several factors likely contributed to this decline, noted John D. Carpten, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at City of Hope, a national cancer research and treatment organization in California.

"I think a big one is smoking cessation and the battle against lung cancer, which has always been the most common form of cancer and is tied to tobacco use," Carpten told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview.

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"But without a doubt, I think new and better methods for early detection, and screening for colorectal cancer and other forms of the disease, have also allowed us to see a decrease." 

Lifestyle improvements have also helped to decrease mortality, he said, along with the development of new and better therapies for cancer.

Despite overall declines in mortality, the report revealed that death rates are rising for cancers of the oral cavity, pancreas, uterine corpus and liver (for females).

Some common cancers have also seen an increase in diagnoses, including breast (female), prostate, pancreatic, uterine corpus, melanoma (female), liver (female) and oral cancers associated with the human papillomavirus, the report stated.

Diagnoses for many cancer types are increasing among certain groups.

Cancer rates for women 50 to 64 years of age have surpassed those for men, the report revealed. For women under 50, rates are 82% higher than males in that age group.

As far as what is influencing the "disconcerting trend" in women’s cancers, Carpten said it is likely "highly nuanced" and will require additional research.

"The decrease in fertility and increases in obesity that we’ve seen are risk factors for breast cancer, especially in postmenopausal middle-aged women," he said. 

"But there could be other modifiable risk factors at play, like alcohol and physical activity."

Another trend in the increase in early cancers is occurring in individuals under the age of 50, Carpten noted.

In particular, the report revealed that diagnoses of colorectal cancer in men and women under 65 and cervical cancer in women between 30 and 44 years of age has increased.

The report also discusses inequities in cancer rates among certain ethnic groups, with Native American and Black people experiencing higher diagnoses of some cancer types.

"Progress against cancer continues to be hampered by striking, wide static disparities for many racial and ethnic groups," said senior author Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of surveillance and health equity science at the ACS, in the release.

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The report shows mixed trends for children, with diagnoses declining in recent years for patients 14 years of age and younger, but rising for adolescents between 15 and 19.

"Mortality rates have dropped by 70% in children and by 63% in adolescents since 1970, largely because of improved treatment for leukemia," the ACS stated in the release.

The ACS report also warns about "lagging progress" against pancreatic cancer, the third-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. 

Rates of diagnoses and deaths from the disease type are on the rise.

"Pancreatic is an incredibly deadly form of cancer," Carpten said. 

One of the main issues with pancreatic cancer, he said, is that it sometimes can grow in an individual for up to 10 years before it's detected.

One of the best opportunities for beating pancreatic cancer is early detection, Carpten said. 

"By the time those cancers have advanced, they've spread to the liver or other organs, and they’re almost impossible to cure at that stage," he said.

"If we can identify those cancers when they're at a curable stage, we can improve outcomes."

Making progress in fighting cancer "takes a village," Carpten told Fox News Digital.

"It will require partnerships between the community, the health care system, cancer researchers, government, industry — we all have to work together if we want to continue to see a decrease and an ultimate increase in cures," he said.

Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, interim chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), stated that the report highlights the need to "increase investment in both cancer treatment and care, including equitable screening programs."

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"Screening programs are a critical component of early detection, and expanding access to these services will save countless lives," he said in the release.

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"We also must address these shifts in cancer incidence, mainly among women. A concerted effort between health care providers, policymakers and communities needs to be prioritized to assess where and why mortality rates are rising."

Fox News Digital reached out to the ACS for further comment.

Our high school volleyball career ended abruptly with a choice we never should have been forced to make: Forfeit the last game of our season — and the chance to compete for state title — or play against a male athlete. 
 
On the one hand, the decision was easy. We are Christians attending a Christian school, and it should come as no surprise that we believe Genesis 1 is true — that God created male and female, that you can’t change your sex, and that to compete against a male who identifies as female would send a message that contradicts what we believe. A lot of people believe a person can simply change their sex by saying so, but the Bible tells us to "not be conformed to this world." 
 
On the other hand, it was devastating. We are both seniors, and forfeiting that game meant our entire volleyball career — all the hard work and sacrifices — that we had put in to get to the semifinals came to a screeching halt without proper closure. We never had the opportunity to celebrate playing the last game of a sport we love or to compete for a state title, an award Stone Ridge Christian School’s girls’ volleyball team has won twice in recent years. 

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We volleyball players, along with the administration and staff of our school in Merced, California, made the difficult decision to forgo participating in that November game against San Francisco Waldorf School. 

No girl should be forced to choose between competing against a male athlete or not competing at all. No girl should lose athletic opportunities for standing up for biological reality and truth. Every athlete has the right to compete while adhering to her religious beliefs. 
 
The California Interscholastic Federation has publicly said that our school may be subject to sanctions for our commonsense stand. So, Stone Ridge has retained Alliance Defending Freedom, which stands ready and able to defend the school should the government follow through with its threats of punishment. 
 
Although we are the first Christian school in the state to choose to stand up for our beliefs in this way, college volleyball players at public universities who likewise have a lot to lose are bravely standing for truth, fairness and safety. Five teams have now forfeited seven matches against nearby San Jose State University, which allows a male athlete to compete on its women’s volleyball team. 

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It’s not realistic to think girls and boys can compete fairly or safely against each other. The differences between men’s and women’s volleyball are so great, they’re practically like two different sports. For starters, the net is seven inches taller in men’s volleyball, and the playing style is completely different. 

Girls’ volleyball is very strategic. We watch films, come up with a plan, and think about every move. There’s no greater feeling than seeing all your training pay off when your team earns a hard-fought win. We communicate; we’re defensive. 
 
But it’s quite different for guys — it’s more about power. They use their strength to smack the ball to the other side; they just react. They jump effortlessly, and half of their body is over the net, spiking the ball hard. Forget about trying to block them. 
 
We may never have the opportunity to put on our pads and hit the court again, which is really hard for us. But this is so much bigger than just a game or even a state title. 

We’re taking this stand on behalf of all the young girls who want to play sports someday. Defending the truth that boys and girls are inherently different, and that each deserve their own, separate sports teams and locker rooms, is worth it. 
 
As long as California’s athletic policies allow boys to compete against girls — taking their roster spots and trophies and forcing them to unfairly forfeit critical games — other girls will face this issue. Christian schools like Stone Ridge have the fundamental right to protect their students’ well-being and stand firm in their religious beliefs. 

Mikyla Beene plays volleyball for Stone Ridge Christian School in Merced, California.