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
That the Senate—
(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.