[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 53 (Monday, March 30, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H4088-H4090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1600
                 SUPPORTING COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 60) supporting the observance 
of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 60

       Whereas this year marks the 10th anniversary of the first 
     designation of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month;
       Whereas colorectal cancer is the second most common cause 
     of cancer deaths for men and women in the United States;
       Whereas colorectal cancer affects men and women equally;
       Whereas more than 148,810 people in the United States will 
     be diagnosed with colon cancer this year;
       Whereas over 49,960 people in the United States will die 
     from colon cancer this year;
       Whereas every 3.5 minutes, someone is diagnosed with 
     colorectal cancer and every 10 minutes someone dies from 
     colorectal cancer;

[[Page H4089]]

       Whereas every 5 seconds someone who should be screened for 
     colorectal cancer is not;
       Whereas the vast majority of colon cancer deaths can be 
     prevented through proper screening and early detection;
       Whereas the survival rate of individuals who have 
     colorectal cancer is 90 percent when detected in the early 
     stages versus only a 10 percent survival rate when colorectal 
     cancer is diagnosed after it has spread to distant organs;
       Whereas only 39 percent of colorectal cancer patients have 
     their cancers detected at an early stage;
       Whereas uninsured Americans are more likely to be diagnosed 
     with late stage colon cancer than patients with private 
     insurance;
       Whereas only 14.9 percent of those without health coverage 
     in the United States have currently been properly screened 
     for colorectal cancer;
       Whereas if the majority of Americans age 50 or older were 
     screened regularly for colorectal cancer, the death rate from 
     this disease could plummet by up to 80 percent;
       Whereas regular colorectal cancer screening has been ranked 
     as one of the most cost effective screening interventions 
     available, with the potential to save 40,000 lives a year;
       Whereas treatment costs for colorectal cancer are extremely 
     high, estimated at $8,400,000,000 for 2004;
       Whereas colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable, and 
     beatable in most cases;
       Whereas increasing the number of people between the ages of 
     50 years and 64 years of age who are regularly screened in 
     the United States, would provide significant savings in tens 
     of billions of dollars to the Medicare program from cancer 
     prevention and treatment costs;
       Whereas the Prevent Cancer Foundation launched the National 
     Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month partnership in 1999 to 
     raise awareness about colorectal cancer and how to prevent 
     the disease through screening;
       Whereas along with their national Super Colon and Buddy 
     Bracelet campaign, Prevent Cancer Foundation has worked 
     alongside their partners to improve awareness and reduce 
     incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer;
       Whereas the Blue Star, developed by the Members of the 
     National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, the American Cancer 
     Society, the Colon Cancer Alliance, and C3: Colorectal Cancer 
     Coalition represents the collective fight against colon 
     cancer, the eternal memory of the people whose lives have 
     already been lost to the disease, and the shining hope for a 
     future free of colon cancer;
       Whereas C3 created the Cover Your Butt campaign to build 
     support at the grassroots level and help shape policy 
     decisions so the most effective colorectal cancer prevention 
     and treatment are available to all Americans;
       Whereas Coaches vs. Cancer (a partnership between the 
     American Cancer Society and the National Association of 
     Basketball Coaches), the Colon Cancer Alliance, and Ethicon 
     Endo-Surgery have created ``Earn a Blue Star Day'' as a means 
     for individuals and corporations to raise awareness of the 
     importance of screening for colon cancer;
       Whereas greater awareness of this cancer and the means to 
     prevent it could save the lives of tens of thousands of 
     Americans each year; and
       Whereas observing a Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 
     during the month of March would provide a special opportunity 
     to offer education on the importance of early detection and 
     screening: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) supports the observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness 
     Month in order to provide a special opportunity to offer 
     education on the importance of early detection and screening;
       (2) recognizes and applauds the national and community 
     organizations for their work in promoting awareness about 
     colorectal cancer, providing information on the importance of 
     prevention and early detection through regular screening, and 
     facilitating access to treatment for its sufferers; and
       (3) urges organizations and health practitioners to ``earn 
     a Blue Star'' by using this opportunity to promote awareness 
     about colorectal cancer and to support early identification 
     and removal of pre-cancerous polyps, detectable only through 
     colorectal cancer screenings.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 60, ``Supporting the 
Observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month''. This year marks the 
10th anniversary of the designation of March as Colorectal Cancer 
Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of 
cancer death in the United States and affects men and women equally. 
This deadly disease, however, can be prevented through early 
identification. When found at its early stage, colorectal cancer has a 
90 percent survival rate. When detected late, that survival rate drops 
to only 10 percent. Unfortunately, less than 40 percent of colorectal 
cancers are detected at an early stage, and because of this, there is a 
higher mortality rate for this disease than there should be.
  The resolution before us today supports education about this disease 
and recognizes national and community organizations for their work in 
promoting awareness about colorectal cancer. Hopefully, we can build on 
the good work currently being done to promote awareness and encourage 
screening to improve early detection of this disease.
  I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Granger, for her 
work in raising this important issue. I know this issue is close to her 
heart, and I want to express my gratitude to her.
  And I urge us to pass this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in proud support of H. Con. Res. 60, 
sponsored by Representative Granger from the State of Texas. March is 
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and we need to do more and 
move in a direction that ends societal taboos that are associated with 
the screening process of a disease that is a threat to many Americans, 
and especially to those over the age of 50.
  This is the second-to-last day for the month of March, but the need 
for colorectal cancer awareness and education should continue 
throughout the entire year. Awareness is a leading cause in the annual 
decline in deaths from colorectal cancer. The survival rate of 
individuals who have colorectal cancer is 90 percent when detected in 
the early stages versus only a 10 percent survival rate when colorectal 
cancer is diagnosed after it has spread to other organs. It is because 
of successful programs such as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness 
Month that encourage early diagnosis so Americans can lead full and 
active lives. By supporting the observance of March as Colorectal 
Cancer Awareness Month, we have the opportunity to encourage men and 
women to educate themselves about the disease and the screening methods 
that are used.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. I have no speakers. I don't know if the gentleman does.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to recognize Ms. 
Granger of Texas for as much time as she may consume.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution 
recognizing the 10th anniversary of the first designation of March as 
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. House Concurrent Resolution 60 also 
recognizes the importance of celebrating March as Colorectal Cancer 
Awareness Month. I would like to thank my colleague, Patrick Kennedy of 
Rhode Island, for his support of this resolution and for his efforts in 
the fight against colorectal cancer.
  Ten years ago, colorectal cancer was a disease that not many people 
talked about. In November 1999, a resolution passed the Senate 
designating March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The House 
passed a supporting resolution in March, 2000. In the years since, 
advocacy groups have increased awareness about colorectal cancer, and 
thousands of Americans have been screened. This year an estimated 
149,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed, and an 
estimated 50,000 deaths will be caused by colorectal cancer. The real 
tragedy is that many of these cancer cases and deaths occurred 
needlessly because the vast majority of colorectal cancer deaths can be 
prevented through proper screening and early detection.
  Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the 
second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Every 
3\1/2\ minutes, someone is diagnosed with

[[Page H4090]]

colorectal cancer. Every 9 minutes, someone dies from colorectal 
cancer. This is a disease that affects men and women equally. The more 
we talk about this disease and the more we encourage our family, our 
friends and our neighbors to get screened, the more lives we save. It 
is that simple.
  Unfortunately, less than half of those who should be screened for 
colon cancer are screened. Not only do we need to increase awareness 
about colorectal cancer but we also need to increase Federal funding 
for early detection and screening. Along with my colleague from Rhode 
Island, Patrick Kennedy, I have introduced a bill that would authorize 
funding for early detection screenings and make preventive care a 
priority. Specifically, the Colorectal Cancer Detection, Early 
Detection, and Treatment Act, H.R. 1189, would establish a national 
screening program for colorectal cancer for individuals over 50 years 
of age or who are at high risk. It also authorizes State funding for 
those screenings and creates a public awareness and education campaign 
on colorectal cancer.
  Despite scientific evidence supporting the benefits of screening, 
screenings for this disease in the U.S. remain low. Every 5 seconds, 
someone who should be screened for cancer is not. When it is diagnosed 
late, the survival rate for colorectal cancer is only 10 percent, but 
when it is diagnosed early, before it spreads to the lymph nodes and 
other organs, the survival rate is 90 percent.
  Early detection and screening saves lives. If everyone over 50 years 
of age were screened regularly for colorectal cancer, the death rate 
for this disease could plummet by 80 percent. In addition to saving 
lives, early detection and screening saves money. Treatment costs for 
colorectal cancer are extremely high and could be greatly reduced if 
mass screenings occurred. Colorectal treatment costs totaled roughly 
$8.4 billion for new cases in 2004. The cost of two-thirds of these 
colorectal cancer cases are borne by the Medicare program.
  The Lewin Group recently conducted a comprehensive study of the 
potential cost savings to Medicare and found that every 10 years, a 
colorectal screening program will result in savings of about 1.5 years 
worth of Medicare expenditures. If screenings were increased among 
people 50 years of age and older in the United States, it would save 
billions of dollars in Medicare expenditures, and it would also save 
thousands of lives.
  The Colorectal Cancer Screening Prevention, Early Detection, and 
Treatment Act ensures that people who are screened will get the full 
continuum of cancer care, including the appropriate follow-up for 
abnormal tests, diagnostic and therapeutic services, and treatment for 
detected cancers.
  If you have not already, I urge you to cosponsor the Colorectal 
Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Act, and join me in 
observing Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Observing Colorectal 
Cancer Awareness Month provides us with the opportunity to discuss the 
importance of early detection screenings. And it also gives recognition 
to all the groups who have helped in this, groups like the American 
Cancer Society, the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the Colon Cancer 
Alliance and C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition. These groups have created 
``Earn a Blue Star Day'' as a way for individuals and corporations to 
raise awareness of the importance of screening.
  Mr. SCALISE. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Rhode Island, who has also been a champion on this issue, Mr. Kennedy.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Representative 
Granger for her leadership on this issue and thank her very much for 
her outgoing efforts to bring this issue to the floor.
  This is simply a matter of public awareness. And like so many issues, 
it is a matter of getting the word out. Screening is what it is about. 
Obviously, with respect to colorectal cancer, it is the stigma. No one 
wants to talk about it. So as a result, no one gets screened. And when 
people finally get screened, it is too late and they die. That is the 
reason it is the second leading cause of cancer death in this country.
  And while the rates of death may be about the same for men and women, 
there is an enormous, an enormous disparity in the rates of death 
between minorities and whites in this country. The reason for that is 
that there are huge disparities in the access to health care between 
minority populations and the rest of the general population. And that 
shows among the greatest disparities in health disparity outcomes in 
this country.
  So for the African American community, this is an enormous issue, 
this is an enormous issue because it is affecting the death and 
mortality rates for the African American community and the Hispanic 
community over and above the general population by an enormous amount. 
So colorectal cancer is something that everybody needs to pay attention 
to and wake up to.
  Now, why is it so important that we have the screening and we pay for 
the screening? Because there is no health insurance out there. That's 
why we need health insurance reform. And that is why Kay Granger is 
such a champion, because she stepped up to the plate and signed on to 
legislation saying, it is good to talk about it, but unless we start 
talking about paying for it, it's not going to do us a lot of good. 
That is what we need. We need to pay for screening. And as she pointed 
out, the evidence backs us up. If we screen, we save Medicare money, 
because you can imagine trying to take care of someone with cancer is a 
very costly, costly thing.
  Now, first of all, we should do it because we don't want to see 
someone suffer. That should be good enough for all of us in Congress to 
want to pass this screening effort. But if it is not good enough for 
everybody to want to save a family the suffering of having to go 
through cancer treatment, then maybe we should want to do it because it 
saves dollars. And the Lewin group and others have said this saves 
dollars because when you detect it early, you don't have to spend all 
that money treating people for chemotherapy, radiation and all that 
expensive acute care treatment.
  We have a sick care system, not a health care system. And we can do 
better in this country by taking care of people before they get sick if 
we screen them. And that is what we should do with colorectal cancer, 
screen people.
  Sign on to H.R. 1189.
  Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker, and 
urge passage of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 60.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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