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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 277 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 277

  Designating September 2009 as ``National Prostate Cancer Awareness 
                                Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 21, 2009

   Mr. Sessions (for himself, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
  Brownback, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Cochran, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
    Crapo, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Grassley, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kerry, 
 Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Specter, Mr. Vitter, Mr. 
 Whitehouse, and Mr. Wicker) submitted the following resolution; which 
                      was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Designating September 2009 as ``National Prostate Cancer Awareness 
                                Month''.

Whereas countless families in the United States live with prostate cancer;
Whereas 1 in 6 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer 
        in his lifetime;
Whereas prostate cancer is the most commonly-diagnosed non-skin cancer and the 
        second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the 
        United States;
Whereas in 2009, 192,280 men in the United States will be diagnosed with 
        prostate cancer and 27,360 men in the United States will die of prostate 
        cancer;
Whereas 30 percent of new diagnoses of prostate cancer occur in men under the 
        age of 65;
Whereas a man in the United States turns 50 years old approximately every 14 
        seconds, increasing his odds of developing cancer, including prostate 
        cancer;
Whereas African-American males suffer a prostate cancer incidence rate up to 65 
        percent higher than white males and double the prostate cancer mortality 
        rates of white males;
Whereas obesity is a significant predictor of the severity of prostate cancer 
        and the probability that the disease will lead to death, and high 
        cholesterol levels are strongly associated with advanced prostate 
        cancer;
Whereas if a man in the United States has 1 family member diagnosed with 
        prostate cancer, he has a 1 in 3 chance of being diagnosed with prostate 
        cancer, if he has 2 family members with such diagnoses, he has an 83 
        percent risk, and if he has 3 family members with such diagnoses, he 
        then has a 97 percent risk of prostate cancer;
Whereas screening by both a digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific 
        antigen blood test can detect the disease in its early stages, 
        increasing the chances of surviving more than 5 years to nearly 100 
        percent, while only 33 percent of men survive more than 5 years if 
        diagnosed during the late stages of the disease;
Whereas there are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer while it is still in 
        the early stages, making screening critical;
Whereas ongoing research promises further improvements in prostate cancer 
        prevention, early detection, and treatments; and
Whereas educating people in the United States, including health care providers, 
        about prostate cancer and early detection strategies is crucial to 
        saving the lives of men and preserving and protecting families: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates September 2009 as ``National Prostate Cancer 
        Awareness Month'';
            (2) declares that steps should be taken--
                    (A) to raise awareness about the importance of 
                screening methods for, and treatment of, prostate 
                cancer;
                    (B) to increase research funding that is 
                commensurate with the burden of the disease so that the 
                screening and treatment of prostate cancer may be 
                improved, and so that the causes of, and a cure for, 
                prostate cancer may be discovered; and
                    (C) to continue to consider ways for improving 
                access to, and the quality of, health care services for 
                detecting and treating prostate cancer; and
            (3) calls on the people of the United States, interested 
        groups, and affected persons--
                    (A) to promote awareness of prostate cancer;
                    (B) to take an active role in the fight to end the 
                devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals, 
                their families, and the economy; and
                    (C) to observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness 
                Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
                                 <all>
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