[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5950-S5951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 278--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 2011 AS ``NATIONAL 
                   PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Johnson 
of South Dakota, Mr. Lee, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Akaka, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
Kirk, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Johanns, and Mr. Blunt) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 278

       Whereas countless families in the United States live with 
     prostate cancer;
       Whereas 1 in 6 males 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 males in the United States;
       Whereas in 2011, the American Cancer Society estimates that 
     240,890 males in the United States will be diagnosed with 
     prostate cancer, and 33,720 males will die from the disease;
       Whereas 30 percent of newly diagnosed prostate cancer cases 
     occur in males under the age of 65;
       Whereas approximately every 14 seconds, a male in the 
     United States turns 50 years old

[[Page S5951]]

     and increases his odds of developing cancer, including 
     prostate cancer;
       Whereas African-American males suffer from a prostate 
     cancer incidence rate that is up to 65 percent 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 males in the United States with 1 family member 
     diagnosed with prostate cancer have a 1 in 3 chance of being 
     diagnosed with the disease, males with 2 family members 
     diagnosed have an 83 percent chance, and males with 3 family 
     members diagnosed have a 97 percent chance;
       Whereas screening by a digital rectal examination and a 
     prostate-specific antigen blood test can detect the disease 
     at the early stages, increasing the chances of survival for 
     more than 5 years to nearly 100 percent;
       Whereas only 33 percent of males 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 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 2011 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 prostate cancer so that--
       (i) screening and treatment for prostate cancer may be 
     improved;
       (ii) the causes of prostate cancer may be discovered; and
       (iii) 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, 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, 
     families, and the economy; and
       (C) to observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 
     with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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