[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 122 (Thursday, August 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9046-S9047]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 38--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION 
OF AN EARLY DETECTION MONTH TO ENHANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR 
       SCREENING FOR BREAST CANCER AND ALL OTHER FORMS OF CANCER

  Mrs. HAGAN (for herself and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                            S. Con. Res. 38

       Whereas more than 2,000,000 new cases of cancer are 
     diagnosed in the United States every year;
       Whereas the most common types of cancer in the United 
     States are nonmelanoma skin cancer, breast cancer in women, 
     prostate cancer in men, lung cancer, and colorectal cancers;
       Whereas 1 out of every 8 women in the United States will 
     develop breast cancer in her lifetime;
       Whereas incidence of breast cancer in young women is much 
     lower than in older women, and breast cancers are generally 
     more aggressive and result in lower survival rates when they 
     occur in young women;
       Whereas breast cancer takes the life of 1 woman in the 
     United States every 13 minutes;
       Whereas, in 2009, approximately 192,370 women in the United 
     States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer;
       Whereas available treatments are very unlikely to cure 
     advanced breast cancer;
       Whereas many oncologists and breast cancer researchers 
     believe that a cure for breast cancer will not be discovered 
     until well into the future;
       Whereas lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is 
     the second most common cancer in women;
       Whereas, in 2009, approximately 11,270 women in the United 
     States will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, of 
     which approximately 4,070 will die;
       Whereas, if ovarian cancer is detected and treated early, 
     the survival rate is 93 percent, however, fewer than 20 
     percent of all cases of ovarian cancer are found at an early 
     stage;
       Whereas prostate cancer is the second leading cause of 
     cancer death among men, with more than 80 percent of all 
     cases occurring in men more than 65 years old;
       Whereas African-American men are diagnosed with prostate 
     cancer at later stages and die of prostate cancer more often 
     than White men;

[[Page S9047]]

       Whereas, in 2009, approximately 192,280 men in the United 
     States will be diagnosed with invasive prostate cancer;
       Whereas if cancer is detected early enough, more than 75 
     percent of all people who develop cancer could be saved;
       Whereas greater awareness of the critical necessity for the 
     early detection of breast cancer and other cancers will not 
     only save tens of thousands of lives but also greatly reduce 
     the financial strain on government and private health care 
     services by detecting cancer before it requires very 
     expensive medical treatment;
       Whereas there is a need for enhanced public awareness of 
     the need for cancer screening; and
       Whereas the designation of an Early Detection Month will 
     enhance public awareness of breast cancer and all other forms 
     of cancer: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress supports the designation of an 
     Early Detection Month to enhance public awareness of the need 
     for screening for breast cancer and all other forms of 
     cancer.

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