[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12011]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PANCREATIC CANCER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 22, 2013

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to pancreatic 
cancer. As you know, it is one of the most deadly forms of cancer; the 
fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and eighth 
worldwide. It is the only major cancer with a five year survival rate 
in the single digits.
  This year, 45,220 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 
and 38,460 will die from this deadly form of cancer. Seventy-three 
percent will die in the first year of diagnosis. African Americans have 
the highest risk among racial and ethnic groups; a risk 32 to 66 
percent higher than other groups. Further, while most cancers' death 
rates and incidences are declining, the incidence death rate of 
pancreatic cancer is increasing. The number of new cases is expected to 
increase by 55 percent by 2030.
  These numbers are staggering. Clearly we need to increase our efforts 
to reduce the incidence of and treatments for this painful disease. 
Enacting the Recalcitrant Cancer Act earlier this year was a 
significant step forward. This new law will direct and guide the 
National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health 
(NIH) in developing a strategic plan--a scientific framework--to 
address pancreatic cancer and other recalcitrant cancers: brain, 
esophageal, liver, lung, ovarian and stomach. NIH is the world's 
leading biomedical research institution and, with adequate resources, I 
am hopeful that we can make significant advances in finding new, 
effective treatments for pancreatic and all cancers while also finding 
their causes.
  We cannot expect to reap the proposed benefits that will emerge from 
this strategic plan unless we come together and make a serious 
financial commitment to NIH. When adjusting for inflation, the NIH 
budget has decreased 23 percent since 2001. We are eroding the work and 
future promises of the world's greatest research entity. We are losing 
a generation of research scientists. And, we are losing lives. We must 
put NIH on a slow, but steady path of increased funding in order to 
establish the stability needed for long term research.

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