[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 193 (Thursday, December 15, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8690-S8691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL CANCER ACT OF 1971
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 347 and
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk
will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be added as
cosponsor of this measure.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I further ask that the resolution be
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any
statements be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 347) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
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--
(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
[[Page S8691]]
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.
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