[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 70 (Friday, May 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY

                                  _____
                                 

                      HON. MICHAEL G. FITZPATRICK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 9, 2014

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the American 
Society of Clinical Oncology, ASCO, on its 50 years of advancing 
progress against cancer. Back in 1964, seven physicians committed to 
improving the care of people to cancer came together with a vision for 
a professional society that would educate and lead physicians through 
this journey. At that time, cancer was largely untreatable and only a 
handful of hard-to-tolerate and mostly ineffective therapies were 
available. Flash forward fifty years and ASCO has nearly 35,000 members 
around the world. In the 1960s, less than one-half of patients with 
cancer were alive five years after diagnosis. Today more than two-
thirds of patients with cancer are alive five years after their 
diagnosis. The number of drugs available to treat cancer has grown from 
a small handful to more than 170, and options for toxicity management 
have vastly increased. Patient quality of life has improved 
dramatically. This is cause for celebration, but we cannot rest. An 
estimated 1.6 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this 
year. The growing, aging, and more overweight population makes it 
likely that cancer will become the leading cause of death by 2030. I 
commend ASCO for its contributions to the progress against cancer over 
these 50 years and look forward to working with the cancer community to 
continue the progress.

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