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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 331 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 331

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding fertility issues facing 
                           cancer survivors.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 14, 2005

Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Burr, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Feinstein, and 
Mr. Isakson) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
        the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding fertility issues facing 
                           cancer survivors.

Whereas there are more than 10,000,000 cancer survivors in the United States, 
        and approximately 1,000,000 of those survivors were diagnosed during 
        their reproductive years;
Whereas approximately 130,000 people under the age of 45 are diagnosed with 
        cancer each year;
Whereas up to 90 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer under the age of 45 
        will undergo potentially sterilizing treatments, such as surgery, 
        chemotherapy, or radiation;
Whereas survivorship rates have dramatically increased so that 71 percent of 
        patients who are diagnosed with cancer under the age of 45 can expect to 
        live at least five years beyond the diagnosis of their disease;
Whereas long-term consequences of cancer treatment are of increasing concern to 
        patients since they are increasingly likely to survive their cancer;
Whereas the diagnosis of infertility can be as devastating for many patients as 
        the cancer diagnosis itself;
Whereas successful fertility preservation options for men and women exist and 
        include: sperm banking, oocyte (egg) freezing, and ovarian and 
        testicular tissue freezing;
Whereas many cancer patients have the option of taking steps to preserve their 
        fertility before their potentially sterilizing cancer treatment begins;
Whereas many patients do not take steps to preserve their fertility before 
        treatment because they are not informed by their health care 
        professionals that their fertility is at risk, or, if they are informed 
        of the risk, they are generally not counseled on their fertility 
        preservation options;
Whereas unrelated factors such as marital status or poor prognosis should not 
        preclude certain patients from being informed about their fertility 
        risks and options; and
Whereas the 2003-2004 President's Cancer Panel Report recognized that 
        comprehensive written and verbal information regarding fertility side 
        effects and fertility preservation options for all reproductive-age 
        patients should be provided before treatment: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) cancer-related infertility is a serious quality of life 
        issue for reproductive-age cancer patients;
            (2) national and community organizations should be 
        recognized and applauded for their work in promoting awareness 
        of the risks of infertility and fertility preservation options 
        for cancer survivors;
            (3) the medical community should increase its efforts to 
        ensure that discussions about the risk of infertility and 
        fertility preservation options are an integral part of 
        pretreatment planning and consent for treatment for all 
        reproductive-age patients; and
            (4) the Federal Government, acting through the National 
        Institutes of Health, should endeavor to--
                    (A) encourage research that will strengthen 
                fertility preservation technologies for cancer 
                patients;
                    (B) continue to consider ways to improve access to 
                fertility preservation options for cancer patients; and
                    (C) endeavor to raise awareness about the fertility 
                side effects and fertility preservation options for 
                cancer patients.
                                 <all>
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