[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 133 (Monday, September 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S9591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 277--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 2009 AS ``NATIONAL 
                   PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
Brownback, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Cochran, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
Crapo, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Grassley, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kerry, 
Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Specter, Mr. Vitter, Mr. 
Whitehouse, and Mr. Wicker) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 277

       Whereas countless families in the United States live with 
     prostate cancer;
       Whereas 1 in 6 men in the United States will be diagnosed 
     with prostate cancer in his lifetime;
       Whereas prostate cancer is the most commonly-diagnosed non-
     skin cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-
     related deaths among men in the United States;
       Whereas in 2009, 192,280 men in the United States will be 
     diagnosed with prostate cancer and 27,360 men in the United 
     States will die of prostate cancer;
       Whereas 30 percent of new diagnoses of prostate cancer 
     occur in men under the age of 65;
       Whereas a man in the United States turns 50 years old 
     approximately every 14 seconds, increasing his odds of 
     developing cancer, including prostate cancer;
       Whereas African-American males suffer a prostate cancer 
     incidence rate up to 65 percent higher than white males and 
     double the prostate cancer mortality rates of white males;
       Whereas obesity is a significant predictor of the severity 
     of prostate cancer and the probability that the disease will 
     lead to death, and high cholesterol levels are strongly 
     associated with advanced prostate cancer;
       Whereas if a man in the United States has 1 family member 
     diagnosed with prostate cancer, he has a 1 in 3 chance of 
     being diagnosed with prostate cancer, if he has 2 family 
     members with such diagnoses, he has an 83 percent risk, and 
     if he has 3 family members with such diagnoses, he then has a 
     97 percent risk of prostate cancer;
       Whereas screening by both a digital rectal examination and 
     a prostate-specific antigen blood test can detect the disease 
     in its early stages, increasing the chances of surviving more 
     than 5 years to nearly 100 percent, while only 33 percent of 
     men survive more than 5 years if diagnosed during the late 
     stages of the disease;
       Whereas there are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer 
     while it is still in the early stages, making screening 
     critical;
       Whereas ongoing research promises further improvements in 
     prostate cancer prevention, early detection, and treatments; 
     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 men 
     and preserving and protecting families: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates September 2009 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 increase research funding that is commensurate with 
     the burden of the disease so that the screening and treatment 
     of prostate cancer may be improved, and so that the causes 
     of, and a cure for, prostate cancer may be discovered; 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, interested 
     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, their 
     families, and the economy; and
       (C) to observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 
     with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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