[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7914]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 445--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF CANCER RESEARCH 
AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SCIENTISTS, CLINICIANS, AND PATIENT ADVOCATES 
   ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WHO ARE DEDICATED TO FINDING A CURE FOR 
 CANCER, AND DESIGNATING MAY 2014 AS ``NATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH MONTH''

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. Isakson) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 445

       Whereas in 2014, cancer remains one of the most pressing 
     public health concerns in the United States;
       Whereas in 2014, more than 1,600,000 individuals in the 
     United States are expected to be diagnosed with cancer and 
     more than 585,000 individuals in the United States are 
     expected to die from the disease;
       Whereas 1 in 2 men in the United States will be diagnosed 
     with cancer during his lifetime, and 1 in 3 women in the 
     United States will be diagnosed with cancer during her 
     lifetime;
       Whereas 77 percent of individuals diagnosed with cancer are 
     over the age of 55;
       Whereas cancer accounts for approximately 1 in every 4 
     deaths, is the second most common cause of disease-related 
     death in the United States, and is projected to become the 
     number 1 disease-related killer of individuals in the United 
     States;
       Whereas racial and ethnic minorities, as well as low-income 
     and elderly populations, continue to suffer 
     disproportionately in cancer incidence, prevalence, and 
     mortality;
       Whereas the term ``cancer'' refers to more than 200 
     diseases that collectively represent--
       (1) the leading cause of death for individuals in the 
     United States under the age of 85; and
       (2) the second leading cause of death for all individuals 
     in the United States;
       Whereas cancer is expected to cost the United States 
     economy an estimated $216,000,000,000 in 2014, and the 
     economic burden of cancer is expected to rise as the number 
     of cancer deaths increases;
       Whereas the United States investment in cancer research has 
     yielded substantial advances in cancer research and has saved 
     many lives;
       Whereas scholars estimate that every 1 percent decline in 
     cancer mortality saves the United States economy 
     $500,000,000,000;
       Whereas advancements in understanding the causes, 
     mechanisms, diagnoses, treatment, and prevention of cancer 
     have led to cures for many types of cancer and have converted 
     other types of cancer into manageable chronic conditions;
       Whereas the 5-year survival rate for all types of cancer 
     was greater than 65 percent in 2011, improving between 1981 
     and 2011, and more than 13,700,000 cancer survivors were 
     living in the United States in 2011;
       Whereas therapy and effective screening tools for some 
     types of cancer remain elusive, and some cancers, including 
     pancreatic, liver, lung, ovarian, and brain cancer, continue 
     to have extraordinarily high mortality rates and 5-year 
     survival rates that are typically less than 50 percent;
       Whereas partnerships among research scientists, the general 
     public, cancer survivors, patient advocates, philanthropic 
     organizations, industry, and Federal, State, and local 
     governments have led to advanced breakthroughs, early 
     detection tools that have increased survival rates, and a 
     better quality of life for cancer survivors;
       Whereas precision medicine holds great promise in treating 
     cancer; and
       Whereas advances in cancer research have had significant 
     implications for the treatment of other costly diseases, such 
     as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, HIV/AIDS, 
     and macular degeneration: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the importance of cancer research and the 
     invaluable contributions of researchers in the United States 
     and around the world who are dedicated to reversing the 
     cancer epidemic;
       (2) designates May 2014 as ``National Cancer Research 
     Month''; and
       (3) supports efforts to establish cancer research as a 
     national and international priority to eventually eliminate 
     the more than 200 diseases that collectively represent 
     cancer.

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