III 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. CON. RES. 60 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 31, 2009 Received and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Supporting the observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and for other purposes.

Whereas this year marks the 10th anniversary of the first designation of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month; Whereas colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths for men and women in the United States; Whereas colorectal cancer affects men and women equally; Whereas more than 148,810 people in the United States will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year; Whereas over 49,960 people in the United States will die from colon cancer this year; Whereas every 3.5 minutes, someone is diagnosed with colorectal cancer and every 10 minutes someone dies from colorectal cancer; Whereas every 5 seconds someone who should be screened for colorectal cancer is not; Whereas the vast majority of colon cancer deaths can be prevented through proper screening and early detection; Whereas the survival rate of individuals who have colorectal cancer is 90 percent when detected in the early stages versus only a 10 percent survival rate when colorectal cancer is diagnosed after it has spread to distant organs; Whereas only 39 percent of colorectal cancer patients have their cancers detected at an early stage; Whereas uninsured Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with late stage colon cancer than patients with private insurance; Whereas only 14.9 percent of those without health coverage in the United States have currently been properly screened for colorectal cancer; Whereas if the majority of Americans age 50 or older were screened regularly for colorectal cancer, the death rate from this disease could plummet by up to 80 percent; Whereas regular colorectal cancer screening has been ranked as one of the most cost effective screening interventions available, with the potential to save 40,000 lives a year; Whereas treatment costs for colorectal cancer are extremely high, estimated at $8,400,000,000 for 2004; Whereas colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable in most cases; Whereas increasing the number of people between the ages of 50 years and 64 years of age who are regularly screened in the United States, would provide significant savings in tens of billions of dollars to the Medicare program from cancer prevention and treatment costs; Whereas the Prevent Cancer Foundation launched the National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month partnership in 1999 to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and how to prevent the disease through screening; Whereas along with their national Super Colon and Buddy Bracelet campaign, Prevent Cancer Foundation has worked alongside their partners to improve awareness and reduce incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer; Whereas the Blue Star, developed by the Members of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, the American Cancer Society, the Colon Cancer Alliance, and C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition represents the collective fight against colon cancer, the eternal memory of the people whose lives have already been lost to the disease, and the shining hope for a future free of colon cancer; Whereas C3 created the Cover Your Butt campaign to build support at the grassroots level and help shape policy decisions so the most effective colorectal cancer prevention and treatment are available to all Americans; Whereas Coaches vs. Cancer (a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches), the Colon Cancer Alliance, and Ethicon Endo-Surgery have created Earn a Blue Star Day as a means for individuals and corporations to raise awareness of the importance of screening for colon cancer; Whereas greater awareness of this cancer and the means to prevent it could save the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year; and Whereas observing a Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month during the month of March would provide a special opportunity to offer education on the importance of early detection and screening: Now, therefore, be it

That the Congress— (1)supports the observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in order to provide a special opportunity to offer education on the importance of early detection and screening; (2)recognizes and applauds the national and community organizations for their work in promoting awareness about colorectal cancer, providing information on the importance of prevention and early detection through regular screening, and facilitating access to treatment for its sufferers; and (3)urges organizations and health practitioners to earn a Blue Star by using this opportunity to promote awareness about colorectal cancer and to support early identification and removal of pre-cancerous polyps, detectable only through colorectal cancer screenings.

Passed the House of Representatives March 30, 2009. Lorraine C. Miller, Clerk.