[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 72 (Monday, May 9, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S2630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 459--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF CANCER RESEARCH 
     AND THE VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF SCIENTISTS, CLINICIANS, CANCER 
SURVIVORS, AND OTHER PATIENT ADVOCATES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WHO ARE 
 DEDICATED TO FINDING A CURE FOR CANCER, AND DESIGNATING MAY 2016, AS 
                   ``NATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH MONTH''

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. Isakson) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 459

       Whereas, in 2016, cancer remains one of the most pressing 
     public health concerns in the United States;
       Whereas, in 2016, more than 1,600,000 individuals in the 
     United States are expected to be diagnosed with cancer and 
     more than 595,000 individuals in the United States are 
     expected to die from the disease;
       Whereas 1 in 2 men in the United States will be diagnosed 
     with cancer during his lifetime, and 1 in 3 women in the 
     United States will diagnosed with cancer during her lifetime;
       Whereas approximately 77 percent of individuals diagnosed 
     with cancer are over 55 years of age;
       Whereas cancer accounts for approximately 1 in every 4 
     deaths, is the second most common cause of disease-related 
     death in the United States, and is projected to become the 
     number 1 disease-related killer of individuals in the United 
     States;
       Whereas the incidence of cancer is expected to grow 
     significantly, reaching 2,300,000 cases per year by 2030;
       Whereas racial and ethnic minorities, as well as low-
     income, rural, and elderly populations, continue to suffer 
     disproportionately in cancer incidence, prevalence, and 
     mortality;
       Whereas the term ``cancer'' refers to more than 200 
     diseases that collectively represent--
       (1) the leading cause of death for individuals in the 
     United States under 85 years of age;
       (2) the second leading cause of death for all individuals 
     in the United States; and
       (3) the leading cause of disease-related death among 
     children in the United States;

       Whereas the most recent estimates by the National 
     Institutes of Health indicated that the overall economic 
     costs of cancer to the United States were $216,600,000,000 
     and the economic burden of cancer is expected to rise as the 
     number of cancer deaths increases;
       Whereas the investment in cancer research by the United 
     States has yielded substantial advances in cancer research 
     and has saved and improved millions of lives;
       Whereas scholars estimate that every 1 percent decline in 
     cancer mortality saves the economy of the United States 
     $500,000,000,000;
       Whereas advancements in understanding the causes, 
     mechanisms, diagnoses, treatments, 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, in 2011, the 5-year survival rate for all types of 
     cancer was greater than 65 percent and, in 2015, more than 
     14,500,000 cancer survivors lived in the United States;
       Whereas therapies and effective screening tools for some 
     types of cancer remain elusive and some cancers, including 
     pancreatic, liver, lung, ovarian, and brain cancers, continue 
     to have extraordinarily high mortality rates and 5-year 
     survival rates that are typically less than 50 percent;
       Whereas partnerships among research scientists, the general 
     public, cancer survivors, patient advocates, philanthropic 
     organizations, industry, the Federal Government, and State 
     and local governments have led to advanced breakthroughs, 
     early detection tools that have increased survival rates, and 
     a better quality of life for cancer survivors;
       Whereas precision medicine holds great promise in treating 
     many forms of cancer;
       Whereas almost all of what is known about cancer diagnosis, 
     treatment, and prevention comes from the 3 to 5 percent of 
     patients who enroll in clinical trials, but these trials 
     enroll relatively homogeneous patient populations, leaving a 
     lack of evidence to guide treatments for a large proportion 
     of the other 95 to 97 percent of patients who do not 
     participate in or do not qualify for studies;
       Whereas the explosion of new science, treatments, and 
     diagnostic tests make broad reaching data initiatives and 
     breaking down organizational barriers to share information 
     more important than ever so it can be determined how best to 
     apply breakthrough treatments to the diverse population of 
     the United States; and
       Whereas advances in cancer research have had significant 
     implications for the treatment of other costly diseases, such 
     as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, HIV/AIDS, 
     and macular degeneration: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the importance of cancer research and the 
     invaluable contributions of researchers in the United States 
     and around the world who are dedicated to reversing the 
     cancer epidemic;
       (2) designates May 2016, as ``National Cancer Research 
     Month''; and
       (3) supports efforts to--
       (A) establish cancer research as a national and 
     international priority; and
       (B) eliminate the more than 200 diseases that collectively 
     represent cancer.

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