III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 251 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Preventive Services 

Task Force should reevaluate its recommendations against prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for men in all age 

groups in consultation with appropriate specialists. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 

Mr. SESSIONS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States 

Preventive Services Task Force should reevaluate its recommendations against prostate-specific antigen-based 

screening for prostate cancer for men in all age groups 

in consultation with appropriate specialists. 

Whereas the United States Preventive Services Task Force 

(referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘USPSTF’’) is an 

independent panel of primary care physicians, not employed by the Federal Government, who are experts in 

preventive and evidence-based medicine; 

Whereas the physicians on the USPSTF conduct scientific 

evidence reviews of a broad range of clinical health care 

preventive services and develop recommendations for primary care clinicians and health systems; 


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•SRES 251 IS 

Whereas prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths of men in the United States; 

Whereas the National Cancer Institute estimates that, in 

2013, 238,590 men will be diagnosed with, and 29,720 

men will die of, prostate cancer; 

Whereas the National Cancer Institute estimates that 1 in 6 

men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his 

lifetime; 

Whereas family history has been shown to be a risk factor 

for prostate cancer for men of all races and ethnicities, 

and men with a family history of prostate cancer are 

twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease; 

Whereas the USPSTF acknowledges that prostate cancer is 

the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer for men in 

the United States, with a lifetime risk for diagnosis estimated at 15.9 percent; 

Whereas the USPSTF acknowledges that African-American 

men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than 

other men in the United States; 

Whereas the USPSTF does not have any members who are 

urologists, a type of physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with prostate cancer; 

Whereas the USPSTF does not have any members who are 

oncologists, a type of physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with cancer; 

Whereas the Food and Drug Administration first approved 

the prostate-specific antigen (commonly referred to as 

‘‘PSA’’) blood test for prostate cancer screening and diagnosis in 1992 and, since that time, the mortality rate 

due to prostate cancer has decreased by 40 percent; 


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•SRES 251 IS 

Whereas, in August 2008, the USPSTF recommended 

against prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for men ages 75 and older, because the 

USPSTF determined that there was insufficient evidence 

to assess the balance of benefits and harms of prostate 

cancer screening in men younger than age 75; 

Whereas, in May 2012, the USPSTF issued a new recommendation, to replace its 2008 recommendation, 

against prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for men in all age groups, because the 

USPSTF concluded that there is moderate-to-high certainty that the test has no net benefit, or that the harms 

outweigh the benefits, and suggested that this screening 

practice be discouraged; 

Whereas the May 2012 recommendation against screening 

applies to all men in the United States, regardless of age; 

Whereas the May 2012 recommendation against screening 

applies to all men in the United States, regardless of 

race, even though the USPSTF acknowledges that African-American men have a substantially higher incidence 

rate for prostate cancer than White men have and more 

than twice the mortality rate from prostate cancer that 

White men have; 

Whereas the May 2012 recommendation against screening 

applies to all men in the United States, even though the 

USPSTF acknowledges that there is convincing evidence 

that prostate-specific antigen-based testing helps detect 

many cases of asymptomatic prostate cancer; and 

Whereas the USPSTF acknowledges that clinical decisions 

regarding cancer screening involve multiple considerations and that clinicians should individualize decisionVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:48 Sep 24, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR251.IS SR251

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•SRES 251 IS 

making to the specific patient or situation: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) the United States Preventive Services Task 

3 Force should— 

4 (A) reevaluate its recommendation against 

5 prostate-specific antigen-based screening for 

6 prostate cancer for men in all age groups; 

7 (B) seriously engage and consult with spe8 cialists, including urologists and oncologists, as 

9 it reevaluates its recommendation; and 

10 (C) identify areas for additional research 

11 and evaluation of methods of treatment of, and 

12 screening procedures for, prostate cancer; 

13 (2) prostate cancer screening decisions should 

14 be made by each individual patient and his physi15 cian, taking into account the personal risk factors of 

16 the patient, such as his overall health, age, race, 

17 family history, and life expectancy, as well as his de18 sire for eventual treatment if he is diagnosed with 

19 prostate cancer; and 

20 (3) steps should be taken to raise awareness of, 

21 and increase public knowledge about, prostate can22 cer, the benefits of early detection, and the appro23 priateness of screening tests. 

Æ 


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