[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 105 (Thursday, June 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 257--DESIGNATING JULY 19, 2023, AS ``GLIOBLASTOMA 
                            AWARENESS DAY''

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

                              S. Res. 257

       Whereas approximately 14,490 new cases of glioblastoma will 
     be diagnosed in the United States in 2023;
       Whereas glioblastoma is--
       (1) the most common malignant (cancerous) brain tumor, 
     accounting for approximately \1/2\ 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 each year;
       Whereas the 5-year survival rate for glioblastoma patients 
     is only 6.9 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 patients and caregivers play a critical role in 
     furthering research for glioblastoma;
       Whereas, relative to other types of cancers, brain cancer 
     patients pay the second highest out-of-pocket costs for 
     medical services in both the initial and end-of-life phases 
     of care;
       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, in 2021, the World Health Organization 
     reclassified brain tumors and made significant changes to the 
     molecular characteristics of a glioblastoma diagnosis, 
     necessitating critical biomarker testing for patients 
     suspected of having a possible glioblastoma;
       Whereas, although glioblastoma was first described in 
     medical and scientific literature in the 1920s, and despite 
     its devastating prognosis, only 5 drugs and 1 medical device 
     have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to 
     specifically treat glioblastoma since the 1920s, and the 
     mortality rates associated with glioblastoma have changed 
     little during the past 30 years;
       Whereas, 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 available for multi-institutional GTN 
     teams to drive therapeutic agents through pre-clinical 
     studies and early-phase clinical trials, which are 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 of, and treatment 
     advances for, glioblastoma: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates July 19, 2023, as ``Glioblastoma Awareness 
     Day'';
       (2) encourages increased public awareness of glioblastoma;
       (3) honors the individuals who have died from the 
     devastating disease of glioblastoma or are currently living 
     with the disease;
       (4) supports efforts to develop better treatments for 
     glioblastoma that will improve the long-term prognosis for, 
     and the quality of life of, individuals diagnosed with the 
     disease;
       (5) recognizes the importance of molecular biomarker 
     testing to the diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma;
       (6) expresses support for the individuals who are battling 
     brain tumors, as well as the families, friends, and 
     caregivers of those individuals;
       (7) urges a collaborative approach to brain tumor research 
     among governmental, private, and nonprofit organizations, 
     which is a promising means of advancing the understanding and 
     treatment of glioblastoma; and
       (8) 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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