[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 248 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 248

  Designating September 2015 as ``National Prostate Cancer Awareness 
                                Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 5, 2015

 Mr. Sessions (for himself, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Vitter, Mrs. 
Feinstein, Mr. Moran, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Cardin, Mr. King, Mr. 
Blunt, Mr. Booker, and Mr. Boozman) submitted the following resolution; 
                   which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating September 2015 as ``National Prostate Cancer Awareness 
                                Month''.

Whereas over 2,900,000 families in the United States live with prostate cancer;
Whereas 1 in 7 males in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer 
        in their lifetimes;
Whereas prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the 
        second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among males in the United 
        States;
Whereas in 2015, the National Cancer Institute estimates that 220,800 men will 
        be diagnosed with, and more than 27,000 men will die of, prostate 
        cancer;
Whereas 40 percent of newly diagnosed prostate cancer cases occur in males under 
        the age of 65;
Whereas the odds of developing prostate cancer rise rapidly after age 50;
Whereas African-American males suffer from a prostate cancer incidence rate that 
        is significantly higher than White males and have double the prostate 
        cancer mortality rate of White males;
Whereas obesity is a significant predictor of the severity of prostate cancer;
Whereas the probability that obesity will lead to death and high cholesterol 
        levels is strongly associated with advanced prostate cancer;
Whereas having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles the 
        risk of a man developing prostate cancer, with a particularly high risk 
        for men who have a brother with the disease;
Whereas screening by a digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific 
        antigen blood test can detect the disease at the earlier, more treatable 
        stages, which could increase the chances of survival for more than 5 
        years to nearly 100 percent;
Whereas only 38 percent of males survive more than 5 years if diagnosed with 
        prostate cancer after the cancer has metastasized;
Whereas there are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer while prostate 
        cancer is in the early stages, making appropriate screening critical;
Whereas ongoing research promises further improvements in prostate cancer 
        prevention, early detection, and treatment; and
Whereas educating people in the United States, including health care providers, 
        about prostate cancer and early detection strategies is crucial to 
        saving the lives of males and preserving and protecting families: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates September 2015 as ``National Prostate Cancer 
        Awareness Month'';
            (2) declares that steps should be taken--
                    (A) to raise awareness about the importance of 
                screening methods for, and treatment of, prostate 
                cancer;
                    (B) to encourage research so that screening and 
                treatment for prostate cancer may be improved, the 
                causes of prostate cancer may be discovered, and a cure 
                for prostate cancer may be developed; and
                    (C) to continue to consider ways for improving 
                access to, and the quality of, health care services for 
                detecting and treating prostate cancer; and
            (3) calls on the people of the United States, interest 
        groups, and affected persons--
                    (A) to promote awareness of prostate cancer;
                    (B) to take an active role in the fight to end the 
                devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals, 
                families, and the economy; and
                    (C) to observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness 
                Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
                                 <all>