[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 191 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8549-S8551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 347--RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL
CANCER ACT OF 1971 AND THE MORE THAN 12,000,000 SURVIVORS OF CANCER
ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO CANCER
RESEARCH AND ADVANCES IN CANCER PREVENTION, DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND
TREATMENT
Mr. BROWN of Ohio (for himself, Mr. Moran, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Feinstein,
Mr. Cardin, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Levin, Mr. Tester, Mr.
Casey, Mr. Inouye, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Harkin, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Begich,
Mr. Sanders, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Franken, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Durbin, Mr.
Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Landrieu, Mr.
Coons, Mr. Menendez, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mrs.
Boxer, Mr. Reed of Rhode Island, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Klobuchar,
Mr. Kohl, Mr. Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Blunt, Mr.
Cochran, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Heller, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Burr,
and Mr. Kirk) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
S. Res. 347
Whereas 40 years ago, with the passage of the National
Cancer Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-218; 85 Stat. 778), the
leaders of the United States came together to set the country
on a concerted course to conquer cancer through research;
Whereas the passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971 led
to the establishment of the National Cancer Program, which
significantly expanded the authorities and responsibilities
of the National Cancer Institute, a component of the National
Institutes of Health;
Whereas the term ``cancer'' refers to more than 200
diseases that collectively represent the leading cause of
death for people in the United States under the age of 85,
and the second leading cause of death for people in the
United States overall;
Whereas cancer touches everyone, either through a direct,
personal diagnosis or indirectly through the diagnosis of a
family member or friend;
Whereas, in 2011, cancer remains one of the most pressing
public health concerns in the United States, with more than
1,500,000 people in the United States expected to be
diagnosed with cancer each year;
Whereas the National Institutes of Health estimated the
overall cost of cancer to be greater than $260,000,000,000 in
2010 alone;
Whereas approximately 1 out of every 3 women and 1 out of
every 2 men will develop cancer in their lifetimes, and more
than 570,000 people in the United States will die from cancer
this year, which is more than 1 person every minute and
nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths;
Whereas the commitment of the United States to cancer
research and biomedical science has enabled more than
12,000,000 people in the United States to survive cancer, 15
percent of whom were diagnosed 20 or more years ago, and has
resulted in extraordinary progress being made against cancer,
including--
[[Page S8550]]
(1) an increase in the average 5-year survival rate for all
cancers combined to 68 percent for adults and 80 percent for
children and adolescents, up from 50 percent and 52 percent,
respectively, in 1971;
(2) average 5-year survival rates for breast and prostate
cancers exceeding 90 percent;
(3) a decline in mortality due to colorectal cancer and
prostate cancer; and
(4) from 1990 to 2007, a decline in the death rate from all
cancers combined of 22 percent for men and 14 percent for
women, resulting in nearly 900,000 fewer deaths during that
period;
Whereas the driving force behind this progress has been
support for the National Cancer Institute and its parent
agency, the National Institutes of Health, which funds the
work of more than 325,000 researchers and research personnel
at more than 3,000 universities, medical schools, medical
centers, teaching hospitals, small businesses, and research
institutions in every State;
Whereas the commitment of the United States to cancer
research has yielded substantial returns in both research
advances and lives saved, and it is estimated that every 1
percent decline in cancer mortality saves the economy of the
United States $500,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas advancements in understanding the causes and
mechanisms of cancer and improvements in the detection,
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer have led to
cures for many types of cancers and have converted other
types of cancers into manageable chronic conditions;
Whereas continued support for clinical trials to evaluate
the efficacy and therapeutic benefit of promising treatments
for cancer is essential for translating new knowledge and
discoveries into tangible benefits for patients, especially
because all standard cancer therapies began as clinical
trials;
Whereas, despite the significant progress that has been
made in treating many cancers, there remain those cancers for
which the mortality rate is extraordinarily high, including
pancreatic, liver, lung, multiple myeloma, ovarian,
esophageal, stomach, and brain cancers, which have a 5-year
survival rate of less than 50 percent;
Whereas research advances concerning uncommon cancers,
which pose unique treatment challenges, provide an
opportunity for understanding the general properties of human
cancers and curing uncommon cancers as well as more common
cancers;
Whereas crucial developments have been achieved in cancer
research that could provide breakthroughs necessary to
address the increasing incidence of, and reduce deaths caused
by, many forms of cancer;
Whereas research into the effect of certain forms of cancer
on different population groups offers a significant
opportunity to lessen the burden of the disease, because many
population groups across the country suffer
disproportionately from certain forms of cancer; and
Whereas a sustained commitment to the research of the
National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer
Institute is necessary to improve the entire spectrum of
patient care, from cancer prevention, early detection, and
diagnosis, to treatment and long-term survivorship, and to
prevent research advances from being stalled or delayed: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the 40th anniversary of the National Cancer
Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-218; 85 Stat. 778); and
(2) celebrates and reaffirms the commitment embodied in the
National Cancer Act of 1971, specifically, that support for
cancer research continues to be a national priority to
address the scope of this pressing public health concern.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I rise to submit a bipartisan
resolution recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Cancer Act
of 1971--supported by 33 Democrats and 11 Republicans.
A special thank-you to Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and Kansas
Senator Jerry Moran for their leadership on this issue.
It is unfortunate but likely true that we each know someone who has
been affected by cancer. We know a survivor. We remember a victim. We
know cancer affects not just the patient but the parents, the family,
the friends, and the loved ones.
This year more than 1.5 million Americans are expected to be
diagnosed with cancer. One out of every three women, one out of every
two men will develop some form of cancer in their lifetimes.
More than half a million Americans die from cancer year after year
after year, in any 1 year. More than one person every minute and nearly
one out of every four deaths is from cancer.
We also know that behind the statistics there are thousands of people
representing thousands of friends, families, and loved ones, with
ribbons, donations, and races for the cure.
These are the stories that motivate us to fight harder and to fight
with one voice. It is also a story of a nation's commitment to cancer
research. There is interest in dealing with environmental causes. There
is great interest in dealing with cures and prevention and all that we
should as a nation and usually do know what to do.
Forty years ago, Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts, as chairman
of the Health Subcommittee, forged a bipartisan consensus and public
demand to bolster investments in cancer research.
He held hearings. He worked with leading public health advocates and
economists who understood the need for bipartisanship on such an urgent
national need. His work, along with Jacob Javits, a Republican Senator
from New York, led to the framework of the National Cancer Act.
When it was clear President Nixon would only sign the act into law if
Kennedy's name were not on it, Kennedy backed off.
The goal was to put cancer research into a new era of discovery, and
that is what the National Cancer Act did. It established a national
cancer program, which expanded the authority and the responsibilities
of the National Cancer Institute, and its parent agency, the National
Institutes of Health. The National Cancer Institute is, by far, the
biggest of the two dozen or so National Institutes of Health.
Today, 12 million cancer survivors are alive because of the advances
in the way we prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer. Because of
the investments by the NCI, the National Cancer Institute, and the
National Institutes of Health, critical cancer research is being
conducted in hospitals and foundations and communities and in all kinds
of centers everywhere and in our universities.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a list of more than 100
cancer research institutions, physicians, and researchers who have
endorsed this resolution be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
National Cancer Act 40th Anniversary Resolution Endorsements
American Association for Cancer Research; Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute; LiveStrong; Duke Cancer Institute;
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center; American Cancer
Society Cancer Action Network; Gary D. Hammer, M.D., Ph.D.,
Millie Schembechler Professor of Adrenal Cancer, University
of Michigan, Director--Endocrine Oncology Program, Director--
Center for Organogenesis; Pancreatic Cancer Action Network;
MD Anderson Cancer Center; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center; Susan G. Komen for the Cure Advocacy Alliance;
University of Kansas Cancer Center; American College of
Gastroenterology; Michael A. Choti M.D., M.B.A., Jacob C.
Handelsman Professor of Surgery, Chief, Handelsman Division
of Surgical Oncology, Johns Hopkins University; The Ohio
State University Comprehensive Cancer Center; Mark O.
Thornton, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., President, Sarcoma Foundation
of America; Tito Fojo, M.D.; U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services National Cancer Institute Medical Oncology
Clinical Research Unit Center for Clinical Research;
Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute; Mayo Clinic Cancer
Center; Kavita Patel, M.D., M.S., Former Director of Policy
for the White House of Public Engagement and
Intergovernmental Affairs, Former Deputy Staff Director for
the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
under the leadership of the late United States Senator Edward
M. Kennedy; Richard J. Gilbertson, M.D., Ph.D., Director,
Comprehensive Cancer Center, St. Jude Children's Research
Hospital; Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth; Siteman
Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and
Barnes-Jewish Hospital; Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute.
Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., The Mark Ravitch Chair,
General Surgery, Associate Professor of Health Policy, Johns
Hopkins University; Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C); Vermont Cancer
Center; The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute; Andrew
Schorr, Founder, Host, and Author, PatientPower.Info;
University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center; Boston
University/Boston Medical Center Cancer Center; Columbia
University Medical Center; Anna Raven, Founder and President,
Over Come ACC; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer
Center; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North
Carolina's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; Betsey de
Parry, Patient, Advocate, & Author; Beverly S. Mitchell,
M.D., George E. Becker Professor of Medicine, Director,
Stanford Cancer Center; UC Davis Designated Cancer Center;
Bruce Shriver, Founder and President, Liddy Shriver Sarcoma
Foundation; James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University
of Rochester Medical Center; Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer
Institute at the University of Arkansas for
[[Page S8551]]
Medical Sciences; UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center;
Alan Cupal, Patient, Advocate, and Director, Adrenal Cancer
Hope; The National CML (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia)
Society; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center; The Robert H.
Lurie Cancer Center of Northwestern University; Association
of American Cancer Institutes; Gregory J. Gagnon, M.D.,
Medical Director, Cyberknife Frederick Memorial Hospital,
Regional Cancer Therapy Center, Radiation Oncology; Chao
Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at UC Irvine.
Claire Verschraegen, M.D., Director, Hematology Oncology
Unit, Director, FAHC Cancer Service Line, Director, Vermont
Cancer Center; Society of Gynecologic Oncology; University of
Colorado Cancer Center; National Brain Tumor Society;
National Patient Advocate Foundation; Women Against Prostate
Cancer; Intercultural Cancer Council Caucus; Dario Altieri,
M.D., Director, Cancer Center, The Wistar Institute Cancer
Center; American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer;
CureSearch for Children's Cancer; Fight Colorectal Cancer;
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah; Oncology
Nursing Society; Bill Bell, President, Spencer Bell Legacy
Project; National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship; Prevent
Cancer Foundation; National Comprehensive Cancer Network; The
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Ovarian Cancer National
Alliance; One Voice Against Cancer Coalition; Deadly Cancer
Coalition; Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum;
Howard Ozer, M.D. PhD., Director, University of Illinois
Cancer Center; Cancer Clinics of Excellence; The Adenoid
Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation; The International
Myeloma Foundation; Manish Agrawal, M.D., Associates in
Oncology/Hematology; Chordoma Foundation; Research!America;
Frederick Memorial Hospital Regional Cancer Therapy Center;
Prevent Cancer Foundation; National Coalition for Cancer
Research; Melanoma Research Alliance; National Association of
Chronic Disease Directors; The Lymphoma Research Foundation;
American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology;
International Cancer Advocacy Network.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Oregon Health and
Science University's Knight Cancer Institute; Robert Mannel,
M.D., Director, Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center,
University of Oklahoma; The University of Virginia Medical
Center; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center; City of
Hope National Medical Center; Oncology Nursing Society;
American Institute for Cancer Research; University of Puerto
Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center; Roswell Park Cancer
Institute; Moffitt Cancer Center; American Society of
Clinical Oncology; Lymphoma Foundation of America; University
of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center; New York University
Cancer Institute; Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute;
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute; Holden
Comprehensive Cancer Center; Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. It includes scientists and physicians working
together on cancer research everywhere from the James in Columbus, to
Case and UH and the clinic in Cleveland.
Ohio's universities and medical schools, teaching hospitals,
Cincinnati Children's Research, small businesses, and other research
institutions help bring cutting-edge cancer research to urban cities
and small towns alike.
For the last 40 years, our Nation's commitment to cancer research has
seen a tremendous return on investment in the millions of lives and the
billions of dollars saved.
We have increased survival rates. We have advanced understanding of
the diseases and the tools needed to cure them. We have better
understood the connection between environmental factors and public
health and diseases. We have realized the importance of prevention. We
also know challenges remain--from finding more treatments to learning
more and carrying out prevention better than we have, from dealing with
environmental factors that we know cause large numbers of cancers and
reducing costs for patients, to reducing disease burdens for different
population groups.
Today's bipartisan cancer resolution on the 40th anniversary of the
National Cancer Act reaffirms a commitment to address this national
priority, to make sure cancer is a thing of the past.
Senator Kennedy said in those days, 40 years ago, when his
legislation began to move forward:
There are few better investments in our future than the
investment we make in health research.
Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, earlier today, I submitted a resolution
with my colleagues from Ohio and Massachusetts, Senators Brown and
Kerry, to recognize the 40th anniversary of the signing of the National
Cancer Act of 1971 and to reaffirm our Nation's strong, bipartisan
commitment to cancer research and the more than 12 million cancer
survivors alive today because of that research.
This commitment to cancer research is supported by 40 Senators from
both sides of the aisle who cosponsored this resolution. Additionally,
this resolution is endorsed by more than 105 cancer institutes and
hospitals, medical schools, and patient groups, including the
University of Kansas Cancer Center.
Forty years ago this month, President Nixon signed the National
Cancer Act into law. The creation of this law marked a turning point in
our Nation's efforts to prevent and cure cancer and set in motion a
coordinated and focused approach to cancer research.
The return on our commitment to cancer research is measured in lives
saved, a better quality of life for cancer survivors, and an enormous
economic benefit to our country and world.
Since the National Cancer Act became law in 1971, the 5-year survival
rate for all cancers combined has risen consistently--this rate is now
at 68 percent for adults and 80 percent for children and adolescents,
up from 50 percent and 52 percent, respectively, in 1971.
It is estimated that every one percent decline in cancer mortality
saves the U.S. economy $500 billion annually.
Our country has made significant progress in combating this
devastating disease, but more work remains. This year, more than 1.5
million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer. Of those
individuals, many will face a very serious, life-changing diagnosis.
Today, I am proud to help submit a resolution that reaffirms our
sustained, strong commitment to cancer research that will help improve
the entire spectrum of care for patients, from prevention to early
detection and diagnosis, to treatment and long-term survivorship, and
most importantly--cures.
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