[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 208 (Monday, December 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6023-S6024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 512--DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 2023 AS ``NATIONAL LUNG 
CANCER AWARENESS MONTH'' AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR EARLY DETECTION AND 
                        TREATMENT OF LUNG CANCER

  Ms. SMITH (for herself, Mr. Rubio, Mrs. Capito, and Mr. Grassley) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 512

       Whereas lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related 
     death among individuals in the United States, accounting for 
     more deaths than colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate 
     cancer combined;
       Whereas, in 2023, an estimated 238,340 individuals in the 
     United States will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and 127,070 
     individuals (approximately 350 individuals per day) will die 
     from the disease;
       Whereas 1 in 16 men and 1 in 17 women in the United States 
     will develop lung cancer during their lifetimes;
       Whereas the rate of lung cancer death in women in the 
     United States has increased by 92 percent over the 50-year 
     span from 1971 to 2021;
       Whereas, each year, more women die from lung cancer than 
     breast cancer and ovarian cancer combined;
       Whereas, in 2023, 20,500 people will die from lung cancer 
     unrelated to smoking, which would be the eighth leading cause 
     of cancer death if classified as a separate disease;
       Whereas 18 percent of lung cancers are unrelated to 
     smoking, and the proportion of lung cancers diagnosed in 
     individuals who have never smoked is increasing in the United 
     States;
       Whereas, in 2023, approximately 103,000 of the 127,070 lung 
     cancer deaths (81 percent) will be caused by cigarette 
     smoking directly, with an additional 3,560 lung cancer deaths 
     caused by second-hand smoke;
       Whereas the 5-year survival rate for localized lung cancer 
     is 63 percent, yet a majority of lung cancers are diagnosed 
     at a distant stage, for which the 5-year survival rate is 8 
     percent;

[[Page S6024]]

       Whereas screening with low-dose computed tomography can 
     detect lung cancer in its earliest stages and ultimately save 
     lives, yet only 3 to 7 percent of individuals in the United 
     States at high risk for lung cancer undergo lung cancer 
     screening;
       Whereas geographic availability of facilities and 
     transportation barriers are persistent challenges to lung 
     cancer screening;
       Whereas nearly 70 percent of adults are not familiar with 
     lung cancer screening and the low-dose computed tomography 
     scan;
       Whereas lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed 
     cancer in veterans;
       Whereas veterans are 25 percent more likely to develop lung 
     cancer compared to the general public, and, although 
     approximately 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 veterans have an 
     elevated risk of lung cancer and are eligible for screening, 
     less than 3 percent of veterans get screened;
       Whereas Black men have the highest incidence of lung cancer 
     and the highest mortality rate from lung cancer in the United 
     States, and non-White individuals are 14 to 17 percent less 
     likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer early;
       Whereas changes made to the United States Preventive 
     Services Task Force lung cancer screening guidelines in 2021 
     increased the number of individuals in the United States who 
     are recommended to receive screening from 8,000,000 to 
     14,500,000;
       Whereas the stigma surrounding lung cancer--
       (1) creates barriers to early diagnosis, treatment, and 
     research;
       (2) has a detrimental impact on the quality of life of lung 
     cancer patients; and
       (3) hinders funding into lung cancer risk factors unrelated 
     to smoking;

       Whereas lung cancer research is leading to breakthroughs in 
     biomarker identification and the development of 
     immunotherapies and targeted therapies that are highly 
     effective for some cancer subtypes, yet accessing cutting 
     edge testing as part of the lung cancer diagnostic process 
     can be difficult; and
       Whereas educational efforts can increase awareness of lung 
     cancer and lung cancer screening among the general public, 
     patients and their families, and health care workers, thereby 
     increasing the early detection of lung cancer: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates November 2023 as ``National Lung Cancer 
     Awareness Month'';
       (2) designates the first week of November 2023 as 
     ``National Women's Lung Cancer Awareness Week'';
       (3) designates the second Saturday of November 2023 as 
     ``National Lung Cancer Screening Day'';
       (4) supports the purposes and ideals of National Lung 
     Cancer Awareness Month;
       (5) promotes efforts to increase awareness of, education 
     about, and research on--
       (A) mitigation of risk factors;
       (B) lung cancer screening;
       (C) treatment of lung cancer;
       (D) lung cancer affecting minorities and individuals who 
     have never smoked; and
       (6) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     National Lung Cancer Awareness Month with appropriate 
     awareness and educational activities.

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