[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 717 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 717

Recognizing the importance of cancer research and the contributions of 
 scientists, clinicians, cancer survivors and other patient advocates 
   across the United States who are dedicated to finding a cure for 
cancer, and supporting the designation of May 2016 as ``National Cancer 
                           Research Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2016

    Mr. Yoder (for himself and Mr. Cleaver) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

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                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the importance of cancer research and the contributions of 
 scientists, clinicians, cancer survivors and other patient advocates 
   across the United States who are dedicated to finding a cure for 
cancer, and supporting the designation of May 2016 as ``National Cancer 
                           Research Month''.

Whereas in 2016, cancer remains one of the most pressing public health concerns 
        in the United States;
Whereas in 2016, more than 1,600,000 individuals in the United States are 
        expected to be diagnosed with cancer and more than 595,000 individuals 
        in the United States are expected to die from the disease;
Whereas 1 in 2 men in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer during his 
        lifetime, and 1 in 3 women in the United States will be diagnosed with 
        cancer during her lifetime;
Whereas approximately 77 percent of individuals diagnosed with cancer are over 
        the age of 55;
Whereas cancer accounts for approximately 1 in every 4 deaths, is the second 
        most common cause of disease-related death in the United States, and is 
        projected to become the number 1 disease-related killer of individuals 
        in the United States;
Whereas the incidence of cancer is expected to grow significantly, reaching 
        2,300,000 cases per year by 2030;
Whereas racial and ethnic minorities, as well as low-income, rural and elderly 
        populations, continue to suffer disproportionately in cancer incidence, 
        prevalence, and mortality;
Whereas the term ``cancer'' refers to more than 200 diseases that collectively 
        represent--

    (1) the leading cause of death for individuals in the United States 
under the age of 85;

    (2) the second leading cause of death for all individuals in the United 
States; and

    (3) the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United 
States;

Whereas the most recent NIH estimates indicated that the overall economic costs 
        of cancer to the United States were $216,600,000,000, and the economic 
        burden of cancer is expected to rise as the number of cancer deaths 
        increases;
Whereas the United States investment in cancer research has yielded substantial 
        advances in cancer research and has saved and improved millions of 
        lives;
Whereas scholars estimate that every 1 percent decline in cancer mortality saves 
        the United States economy $500,000,000,000;
Whereas advancements in understanding the causes, mechanisms, diagnoses, 
        treatment, and prevention of cancer have led to cures for many types of 
        cancer and have converted other types of cancer into manageable chronic 
        conditions;
Whereas the 5-year survival rate for all types of cancer was greater than 65 
        percent in 2011, improving between 1981 and 2011, and more than 
        14,500,000 cancer survivors were living in the United States in 2015;
Whereas therapies and effective screening tools for some types of cancer remain 
        elusive, and some cancers, including pancreatic, liver, lung, ovarian, 
        and brain cancer, continue to have extraordinarily high mortality rates 
        and 5-year survival rates that are typically less than 50 percent;
Whereas partnerships among research scientists, the general public, cancer 
        survivors, patient advocates, philanthropic organizations, industry, and 
        Federal, State, and local governments have led to advanced 
        breakthroughs, early detection tools that have increased survival rates, 
        and a better quality of life for cancer survivors;
Whereas precision medicine holds great promise in treating many forms of cancer;
Whereas almost all we know about cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention 
        comes from the 3 to 5 percent of patients who enroll in clinical trials. 
        Clinical trials enroll relatively homogeneous patient populations, which 
        leaves us with a lack of evidence to guide treatments for a large 
        proportion of the other 95 to 97 percent who do not participate in, or 
        do not qualify for studies;
Whereas the explosion of new science, treatments and diagnostic tests make big 
        data initiatives and breaking down silos to share information more 
        important than ever so that we can quickly learn how best to apply these 
        breakthrough treatments to the diverse United States population; and
Whereas advances in cancer research have had significant implications for the 
        treatment of other costly diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, 
        Alzheimer's disease, HIV/AIDS, and macular degeneration: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of cancer research and the 
        invaluable contributions of researchers in the United States 
        and around the world who are dedicated to reversing the cancer 
        epidemic;
            (2) supports the designation of ``National Cancer Research 
        Month''; and
            (3) supports efforts to establish cancer research as a 
        national and international priority to eventually eliminate the 
        more than 200 diseases that collectively represent cancer.
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