[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 531 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 531

Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971 and 
the more than 12,000,000 survivors of cancer alive today because of the 
  commitment of the United States to cancer research and advances in 
        cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 31, 2012

   Mr. Israel (for himself, Mr. Neal, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. 
 Towns, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Engel, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. King of New 
  York, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Reed, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Sablan, Mr. 
Baca, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Ms. Richardson, 
 Ms. Speier, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Levin, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Pierluisi, Mrs. 
Christensen, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Turner of New 
    York, Mr. Ackerman, Ms. McCollum, Mrs. Lowey, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. 
 Faleomavaega, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mrs. Davis of California, 
Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Nadler, 
 Mr. Cohen, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Frank of Massachusetts) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971 and 
the more than 12,000,000 survivors of cancer alive today because of the 
  commitment of the United States to cancer research and advances in 
        cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Whereas 40 years ago, with the passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971 
        (Public Law 92-218; 85 Stat. 778), the leaders of the United States came 
        together to set the country on a concerted course to conquer cancer 
        through research;
Whereas the passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971 led to the establishment 
        of the National Cancer Program, which significantly expanded the 
        authorities and responsibilities of the National Cancer Institute, a 
        component of the National Institutes of Health;
Whereas the term ``cancer'' refers to more than 200 diseases that collectively 
        represent the leading cause of death for people in the United States 
        under the age of 85, and the second leading cause of death for people in 
        the United States overall;
Whereas cancer touches everyone, either through a direct, personal diagnosis or 
        indirectly through the diagnosis of a family member or friend;
Whereas, in 2011, cancer remains one of the most pressing public health concerns 
        in the United States, with more than 1,500,000 people in the United 
        States expected to be diagnosed with cancer each year;
Whereas the National Institutes of Health estimated the overall cost of cancer 
        to be greater than $260,000,000,000 in 2010 alone;
Whereas approximately 1 out of every 3 women and 1 out of every 2 men will 
        develop cancer in their lifetimes, and more than 570,000 people in the 
        United States will die from cancer this year, which is more than 1 
        person every minute and nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths;
Whereas the commitment of the United States to cancer research and biomedical 
        science has enabled more than 12,000,000 people in the United States to 
        survive cancer, 15 percent of whom were diagnosed 20 or more years ago, 
        and has resulted in extraordinary progress being made against cancer, 
        including--

    (1) an increase in the average 5-year survival rate for all cancers 
combined to 68 percent for adults and 80 percent for children and 
adolescents, up from 50 percent and 52 percent, respectively, in 1971;

    (2) average 5-year survival rates for breast and prostate cancers 
exceeding 90 percent;

    (3) a decline in mortality due to colorectal cancer and prostate 
cancer; and

    (4) from 1990 to 2007, a decline in the death rate from all cancers 
combined of 22 percent for men and 14 percent for women, resulting in 
nearly 900,000 fewer deaths during that period;

Whereas the driving force behind this progress has been support for the National 
        Cancer Institute and its parent agency, the National Institutes of 
        Health, which funds the work of more than 325,000 researchers and 
        research personnel at more than 3,000 universities, medical schools, 
        medical centers, teaching hospitals, small businesses, and research 
        institutions in every State;
Whereas the commitment of the United States to cancer research has yielded 
        substantial returns in both research advances and lives saved, and it is 
        estimated that every 1 percent decline in cancer mortality saves the 
        economy of the United States $500,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas advancements in understanding the causes and mechanisms of cancer and 
        improvements in the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of 
        cancer have led to cures for many types of cancers and have converted 
        other types of cancers into manageable chronic conditions;
Whereas continued support for clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and 
        therapeutic benefit of promising treatments for cancer is essential for 
        translating new knowledge and discoveries into tangible benefits for 
        patients, especially because all standard cancer therapies began as 
        clinical trials;
Whereas, despite the significant progress that has been made in treating many 
        cancers, there remain those cancers for which the mortality rate is 
        extraordinarily high, including pancreatic, liver, lung, multiple 
        myeloma, ovarian, esophageal, stomach, and brain cancers, which have a 
        5-year survival rate of less than 50 percent;
Whereas research advances concerning uncommon cancers, which pose unique 
        treatment challenges, provide an opportunity for understanding the 
        general properties of human cancers and curing uncommon cancers as well 
        as more common cancers;
Whereas crucial developments have been achieved in cancer research that could 
        provide breakthroughs necessary to address the increasing incidence of, 
        and reduce deaths caused by, many forms of cancer;
Whereas research into the effect of certain forms of cancer on different 
        population groups offers a significant opportunity to lessen the burden 
        of the disease, because many population groups across the country suffer 
        disproportionately from certain forms of cancer; and
Whereas a sustained commitment to the research of the National Institutes of 
        Health and the National Cancer Institute is necessary to improve the 
        entire spectrum of patient care, from cancer prevention, early 
        detection, and diagnosis, to treatment and long-term survivorship, and 
        to prevent research advances from being stalled or delayed: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 40th anniversary of the National Cancer 
        Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-218; 85 Stat. 778); and
            (2) celebrates and reaffirms the commitment embodied in the 
        National Cancer Act of 1971, specifically, that support for 
        cancer research continues to be a national priority to address 
        the scope of this pressing public health concern.
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