[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 251 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 251

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Preventive 
   Services Task Force should reevaluate its recommendations against 
 prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for men 
    in all age groups in consultation with appropriate specialists.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 23, 2013

Mr. Sessions submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
        the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Preventive 
   Services Task Force should reevaluate its recommendations against 
 prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for men 
    in all age groups in consultation with appropriate specialists.

Whereas the United States Preventive Services Task Force (referred to in this 
        preamble as the ``USPSTF'') is an independent panel of primary care 
        physicians, not employed by the Federal Government, who are experts in 
        preventive and evidence-based medicine;
Whereas the physicians on the USPSTF conduct scientific evidence reviews of a 
        broad range of clinical health care preventive services and develop 
        recommendations for primary care clinicians and health systems;
Whereas prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths of 
        men in the United States;
Whereas the National Cancer Institute estimates that, in 2013, 238,590 men will 
        be diagnosed with, and 29,720 men will die of, prostate cancer;
Whereas the National Cancer Institute estimates that 1 in 6 men will be 
        diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime;
Whereas family history has been shown to be a risk factor for prostate cancer 
        for men of all races and ethnicities, and men with a family history of 
        prostate cancer are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease;
Whereas the USPSTF acknowledges that prostate cancer is the most commonly 
        diagnosed non-skin cancer for men in the United States, with a lifetime 
        risk for diagnosis estimated at 15.9 percent;
Whereas the USPSTF acknowledges that African-American men are twice as likely to 
        die from prostate cancer than other men in the United States;
Whereas the USPSTF does not have any members who are urologists, a type of 
        physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with 
        prostate cancer;
Whereas the USPSTF does not have any members who are oncologists, a type of 
        physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with 
        cancer;
Whereas the Food and Drug Administration first approved the prostate-specific 
        antigen (commonly referred to as ``PSA'') blood test for prostate cancer 
        screening and diagnosis in 1992 and, since that time, the mortality rate 
        due to prostate cancer has decreased by 40 percent;
Whereas, in August 2008, the USPSTF recommended against prostate-specific 
        antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for men ages 75 and older, 
        because the USPSTF determined that there was insufficient evidence to 
        assess the balance of benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening in 
        men younger than age 75;
Whereas, in May 2012, the USPSTF issued a new recommendation, to replace its 
        2008 recommendation, against prostate-specific antigen-based screening 
        for prostate cancer for men in all age groups, because the USPSTF 
        concluded that there is moderate-to-high certainty that the test has no 
        net benefit, or that the harms outweigh the benefits, and suggested that 
        this screening practice be discouraged;
Whereas the May 2012 recommendation against screening applies to all men in the 
        United States, regardless of age;
Whereas the May 2012 recommendation against screening applies to all men in the 
        United States, regardless of race, even though the USPSTF acknowledges 
        that African-American men have a substantially higher incidence rate for 
        prostate cancer than White men have and more than twice the mortality 
        rate from prostate cancer that White men have;
Whereas the May 2012 recommendation against screening applies to all men in the 
        United States, even though the USPSTF acknowledges that there is 
        convincing evidence that prostate-specific antigen-based testing helps 
        detect many cases of asymptomatic prostate cancer; and
Whereas the USPSTF acknowledges that clinical decisions regarding cancer 
        screening involve multiple considerations and that clinicians should 
        individualize decisionmaking to the specific patient or situation: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the United States Preventive Services Task Force 
        should--
                    (A) reevaluate its recommendation against prostate-
                specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer 
                for men in all age groups;
                    (B) seriously engage and consult with specialists, 
                including urologists and oncologists, as it reevaluates 
                its recommendation; and
                    (C) identify areas for additional research and 
                evaluation of methods of treatment of, and screening 
                procedures for, prostate cancer;
            (2) prostate cancer screening decisions should be made by 
        each individual patient and his physician, taking into account 
        the personal risk factors of the patient, such as his overall 
        health, age, race, family history, and life expectancy, as well 
        as his desire for eventual treatment if he is diagnosed with 
        prostate cancer; and
            (3) steps should be taken to raise awareness of, and 
        increase public knowledge about, prostate cancer, the benefits 
        of early detection, and the appropriateness of screening tests.
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