III 

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; 


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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; 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates September 2009 as ‘‘National 

3 Prostate Cancer Awareness Month’’; 

4 (2) declares that steps should be taken— 

5 (A) to raise awareness about the impor6 tance of screening methods for, and treatment 

7 of, prostate cancer; 

8 (B) to increase research funding that is 

9 commensurate with the burden of the disease so 

10 that the screening and treatment of prostate 

11 cancer may be improved, and so that the causes 

12 of, and a cure for, prostate cancer may be dis13 covered; and 

14 (C) to continue to consider ways for im15 proving access to, and the quality of, health 

16 care services for detecting and treating prostate 

17 cancer; and 

18 (3) calls on the people of the United States, in19 terested groups, and affected persons— 


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1 (A) to promote awareness of prostate can2 cer; 

3 (B) to take an active role in the fight to 

4 end the devastating effects of prostate cancer 

5 on individuals, their families, and the economy; 

6 and 

7 (C) to observe National Prostate Cancer 

8 Awareness Month with appropriate ceremonies 

9 and activities. 

Æ 


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