[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 143 (Tuesday, September 25, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12075-S12076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO INCREASE CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS, TREATMENT, 
                              AND RESEARCH

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP 
Committee be discharged from further consideration, and the Senate now 
proceed to S. Res. 325.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 325), supporting efforts to increase 
     childhood cancer awareness, treatment, and research.


[[Page S12076]]


  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider 
be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 325) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 325

       Whereas an estimated 12,400 children are diagnosed with 
     cancer each year;
       Whereas cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in 
     children under age 15;
       Whereas an estimated 2,300 children die from cancer each 
     year;
       Whereas the incidence of cancer among children in the 
     United States is rising by about 1 percent each year;
       Whereas 1 in every 330 people in the United States develops 
     cancer before age 20;
       Whereas approximately 8 percent of deaths of individuals 
     between 1 and 19 years old are caused by cancer;
       Whereas, while some progress has been made, a number of 
     opportunities for childhood cancer research still remain 
     unfunded or underfunded;
       Whereas limited resources for childhood cancer research can 
     hinder the recruitment of investigators and physicians to the 
     field of pediatric oncology;
       Whereas the results of peer-reviewed clinical trials have 
     helped to raise the standard of care for pediatrics and have 
     improved cancer survival rates among children;
       Whereas the number of survivors of childhood cancers 
     continues to increase, with about 1 in 640 adults between 
     ages 20 to 39 having a history of cancer;
       Whereas up to \2/3\ of childhood cancer survivors are 
     likely to experience at least 1 late effect from treatment, 
     which may be life-threatening;
       Whereas some late effects of cancer treatment are 
     identified early in follow-up and are easily resolved, while 
     others may become chronic problems in adulthood and have 
     serious consequences; and
       Whereas 89 percent of children with terminal cancer 
     experience substantial suffering in the last month of life: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that Congress 
     should support--
       (1) public and private sector efforts to promote awareness 
     about--
       (A) the incidence of cancer among children;
       (B) the signs and symptoms of cancer in children; and
       (C) options for the treatment of, and long-term follow-up 
     for, childhood cancers;
       (2) increased public and private investment in childhood 
     cancer research to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, 
     rehabilitation, post-treatment monitoring, and long-term 
     survival;
       (3) policies that provide incentives to encourage medical 
     trainees and investigators to enter the field of pediatric 
     oncology;
       (4) policies that provide incentives to encourage the 
     development of drugs and biologics designed to treat 
     pediatric cancers;
       (5) policies that encourage participation in clinical 
     trials;
       (6) medical education curricula designed to improve pain 
     management for cancer patients;
       (7) policies that enhance education, services, and other 
     resources related to late effects from treatment; and
       (8) grassroots efforts to promote awareness and support 
     research for cures for childhood cancer.

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