III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 257 

Designating July 19, 2023, as ‘‘Glioblastoma Awareness Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 15, 2023 

Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Ms. 

WARREN, Mr. KELLY, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. COONS, and Mr. 

WARNOCK) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating July 19, 2023, as ‘‘Glioblastoma Awareness 

Day’’. 

Whereas approximately 14,490 new cases of glioblastoma will 

be diagnosed in the United States in 2023; 

Whereas glioblastoma is— 

(1) the most common malignant (cancerous) brain 

tumor, accounting for approximately 1⁄2 of all primary 

malignant brain tumors; and 

(2) the most aggressive, complex, difficult to treat, 

and deadly type of brain tumor; 

Whereas it is estimated that more than 10,000 individuals in 

the United States will succumb to glioblastoma each year; 


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•SRES 257 ATS 

Whereas the 5-year survival rate for glioblastoma patients is 

only 6.9 percent, and the median length of survival for 

glioblastoma patients is only 8 months; 

Whereas glioblastoma is described as a disease that affects 

the ‘‘essence of self’’, as the treatment and removal of 

glioblastoma presents significant challenges due to the 

uniquely complex and fragile nature of the brain, the primary organ in the human body that controls not only 

cognitive ability, but also the actions of every organ and 

limb; 

Whereas patients and caregivers play a critical role in furthering research for glioblastoma; 

Whereas, relative to other types of cancers, brain cancer patients pay the second highest out-of-pocket costs for medical services in both the initial and end-of-life phases of 

care; 

Whereas, although research advances may fuel the development of new treatments for glioblastoma, challenging obstacles to accelerating progress toward new treatments 

for glioblastoma remain, and there are no screening or 

early detection methods; 

Whereas, in 2021, the World Health Organization reclassified 

brain tumors and made significant changes to the molecular characteristics of a glioblastoma diagnosis, necessitating critical biomarker testing for patients suspected of 

having a possible glioblastoma; 

Whereas, although glioblastoma was first described in medical 

and scientific literature in the 1920s, and despite its devastating prognosis, only 5 drugs and 1 medical device 

have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to specifically treat glioblastoma since the 1920s, 


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•SRES 257 ATS 

and the mortality rates associated with glioblastoma have 

changed little during the past 30 years; 

Whereas, since the first Glioblastoma Awareness Day, the 

National Cancer Institute established the Glioblastoma 

Therapeutics Network (referred to in this preamble as 

‘‘GTN’’) in 2020 as part of a national infrastructure to 

enhance and support the discovery and development of 

glioblastoma therapies available for multi-institutional 

GTN teams to drive therapeutic agents through pre-clinical studies and early-phase clinical trials, which are necessary to rapidly evaluate potential treatments to advance 

toward cures and improved quality of life; and 

Whereas there is a need for greater public awareness of glioblastoma, including awareness of both— 

(1) the urgent unmet medical needs of glioblastoma 

patients; and 

(2) the opportunities for research of, and treatment 

advances for, glioblastoma: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates July 19, 2023, as ‘‘Glioblastoma 

3 Awareness Day’’; 

4 (2) encourages increased public awareness of 

5 glioblastoma; 

6 (3) honors the individuals who have died from 

7 the devastating disease of glioblastoma or are cur8 rently living with the disease; 

9 (4) supports efforts to develop better treat10 ments for glioblastoma that will improve the longVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:05 Jun 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR257.ATS SR257

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•SRES 257 ATS 

1 term prognosis for, and the quality of life of, individ2 uals diagnosed with the disease; 

3 (5) recognizes the importance of molecular bio4 marker testing to the diagnosis and treatment of 

5 glioblastoma; 

6 (6) expresses support for the individuals who 

7 are battling brain tumors, as well as the families, 

8 friends, and caregivers of those individuals; 

9 (7) urges a collaborative approach to brain 

10 tumor research among governmental, private, and 

11 nonprofit organizations, which is a promising means 

12 of advancing the understanding and treatment of 

13 glioblastoma; and 

14 (8) encourages continued investments in glio15 blastoma research and treatments, including through 

16 the Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network and other 

17 existing brain tumor research resources. 

Æ 


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