[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 12, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 210--DESIGNATING JULY 21, 2021, AS ``GLIOBLASTOMA 
                            AWARENESS DAY''

  Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Coons, Ms. 
Warren, Mr. Markey, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Warnock) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 210

       Whereas approximately 13,000 new cases of glioblastoma will 
     be diagnosed in the United States in 2021;
       Whereas glioblastoma is--
       (1) the most common malignant, cancerous brain tumor, 
     accounting for approximately half of all primary malignant 
     brain tumors; and
       (2) the most aggressive, complex, difficult to treat, and 
     deadly type of brain tumor;
       Whereas it is estimated that more than 10,000 individuals 
     in the United States will succumb to glioblastoma every year;
       Whereas the 5-year survival rate for glioblastoma patients 
     is only 7.2 percent and the median length of survival for 
     glioblastoma patients is only 8 months;
       Whereas glioblastoma is described as a disease that affects 
     the ``essence of self'', as the treatment and removal of 
     glioblastoma presents significant challenges due to the 
     uniquely complex and fragile nature of the brain, the primary 
     organ in the human body that controls not only cognitive 
     ability but also the actions of every organ and limb;
       Whereas, relative to other types of cancers, brain cancer 
     has--
       (1) the highest per-patient initial cost of care, with an 
     annualized mean net cost of care approaching $150,000; and
       (2) the highest annualized mean net costs for last-year-of-
     life care, with a cost of between $135,000 and $210,000 per 
     patient, depending on the age and gender of a patient;
       Whereas, although research advances may fuel the 
     development of new treatments for glioblastoma, challenging 
     obstacles to accelerating progress toward new treatments for 
     glioblastoma remain and there are no screening or early 
     detection methods;
       Whereas, although glioblastoma was first described in 
     medical and scientific literature in the 1920s, and despite 
     its devastating prognosis, only 4 drugs and 1 medical device 
     have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to 
     treat glioblastoma since the 1920s and the mortality rates 
     associated with glioblastoma have changed little during the 
     past 30 years;
       Whereas, as a promising first step since the first 
     Glioblastoma Awareness Day, the National Cancer Institute 
     established the Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network (referred 
     to in this preamble as ``GTN'') in 2020, as part of a 
     national infrastructure to enhance and support the discovery 
     and development of glioblastoma therapies, with an initial 
     $6,000,000 available for multi-institutional GTN teams to 
     drive therapeutic agents through pre-clinical studies and 
     early-phase clinical trials necessary to rapidly evaluate 
     potential treatments to advance toward cures and improved 
     quality of life; and
       Whereas there is a need for greater public awareness of 
     glioblastoma, including awareness of both--
       (1) the urgent unmet medical needs of glioblastoma 
     patients; and
       (2) the opportunities for research and treatment advances 
     for glioblastoma: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates July 21, 2021, as ``Glioblastoma Awareness 
     Day'';
       (2) encourages increased public awareness of glioblastoma;
       (3) honors the individuals who have lost their lives to 
     glioblastoma, a devastating disease, or are currently living 
     with it;
       (4) supports efforts to develop better treatments for 
     glioblastoma that will improve the long-term prognosis and 
     quality of life of individuals diagnosed with the disease;
       (5) expresses its support for the individuals who are 
     battling brain tumors, as well as the families, friends, and 
     caregivers of those individuals;
       (6) urges a collaborative approach to brain tumor research, 
     which is a promising means of advancing the understanding and 
     treatment of glioblastoma; and
       (7) encourages continued investments in glioblastoma 
     research and treatments, including through the Glioblastoma 
     Therapeutics Network and other existing brain tumor research 
     resources.

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