[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 29, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S4730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 517--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 2016 AS ``NATIONAL 
                   PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Moran, Mr. 
Cardin, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Menendez, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Daines, Ms. Warren, 
Mr. Booker, Ms. Ayotte, and Mr. Graham) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 517

       Whereas over 2,900,000 families in the United States live 
     with prostate cancer;
       Whereas 1 in 7 men in the United States will be diagnosed 
     with prostate cancer in their lifetimes;
       Whereas prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed 
     nonskin cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer-related 
     deaths among men in the United States;
       Whereas the National Cancer Institute estimates that in 
     2016, 180,890 men will be diagnosed with, and more than 
     26,120 men will die of, prostate cancer;
       Whereas 40 percent of newly diagnosed prostate cancer cases 
     occur in men under the age of 65;
       Whereas the odds of developing prostate cancer rise rapidly 
     after age 50;
       Whereas African-American men suffer from a prostate cancer 
     incidence rate that is significantly higher than that of 
     White men and have double the prostate cancer mortality rate 
     than that of White men;
       Whereas having a father or brother with prostate cancer 
     more than doubles the risk of a man developing prostate 
     cancer, with a higher risk for men who have a brother with 
     the disease and the highest risk for men with several 
     affected relatives, particularly if the relatives were young 
     at the time that the cancer was found;
       Whereas screening by a digital rectal examination and a 
     prostate-specific antigen blood test can detect the disease 
     at the earlier, more treatable stages, which could increase 
     the chances of survival for more than 5 years to nearly 100 
     percent;
       Whereas only 28 percent of men survive more than 5 years if 
     diagnosed with prostate cancer after the cancer has 
     metastasized;
       Whereas there are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer 
     in the early stages, making appropriate screening critical;
       Whereas, in fiscal year 2015, the Director of the National 
     Institutes of Health supported approximately $288,000,000 in 
     research projects that focus specifically on prostate cancer;
       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 men 
     and preserving and protecting families: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates September 2016 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 encourage research--
       (i) to improve screening and treatment for prostate cancer;
       (ii) to discover the causes of prostate cancer; and
       (iii) to develop a cure for prostate cancer; and
       (C) to continue to consider ways to improve 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, interest 
     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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