IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1114 

Supporting the observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2010 

Ms. GRANGER (for herself and Mr. BOREN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness 

Month, and for other purposes. 

Whereas colorectal cancer is third most commonly diagnosed 

cancer and the second most common cause of cancer 

deaths for men and women in the United States; 

Whereas colorectal cancer affects men and women equally; 

Whereas the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with cancer of 

the colon or rectum is 5.5 percent for men and 5.1 percent for women in the United States; 

Whereas nearly 147,000 people in the United States will be 

diagnosed with colon cancer this year; 

Whereas every 3.7 minutes, someone is diagnosed with 

colorectal cancer and every 10 minutes someone dies 

from colorectal cancer; 


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Whereas nearly 50,000 people in the United States will die 

from colon cancer this year; 

Whereas the vast majority of colon cancer deaths can be prevented through proper screening and early detection; 

Whereas every 5 seconds someone who should be screened for 

colorectal cancer is not; 

Whereas the survival rate of individuals who have colorectal 

cancer is 90 percent when detected in the early stages 

versus only a 10 percent survival rate when colorectal 

cancer is diagnosed after it has spread to distant organs; 

Whereas only 39 percent of colorectal cancer patients have 

their cancers detected at an early stage; 

Whereas regular colorectal cancer screening has been ranked 

as one of the most cost effective screening interventions 

available, with the potential to save 40,000 lives a year; 

Whereas if the majority of people in the United States age 

50 or older were screened regularly for colorectal cancer, 

the death rate from this disease could plummet by up to 

80 percent; 

Whereas treatment costs for colorectal cancer are extremely 

high, estimated at over $8,400,000,000 per year; 

Whereas, among African-Americans, incidence rates are more 

than 20 percent higher and mortality rates are about 45 

percent higher than rates in Whites; 

Whereas, African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian 

Americans, American Indians, and Alaskan Natives are 

significantly less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer compared to Whites; 

Whereas increasing the number of people between the ages of 

50 years and 64 years of age who are regularly screened 


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in the United States, would provide significant savings in 

tens of billions of dollars to the Medicare program from 

cancer prevention and treatment costs; 

Whereas colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable, and 

beatable in most cases; 

Whereas the Prevent Cancer Foundation launched the National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month partnership in 

1999 to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and how 

to prevent the disease through screening; 

Whereas the Blue Star, developed by the Members of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, the American Cancer Society, the C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition, and the 

Colon Cancer Alliance represents the collective fight 

against colon cancer, the eternal memory of the people 

whose lives have already been lost to the disease, and the 

shining hope for a future free of colon cancer; 

Whereas greater awareness of this cancer and the means to 

prevent it could save the lives of tens of thousands of 

people in the United States each year; and 

Whereas observing a Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 

during the month of March would provide a special opportunity to offer education on the importance of early 

detection and screening: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the observance of Colorectal Can3 cer Awareness Month in order to provide a special 

4 opportunity to offer education on the importance of 

5 early detection and screening; 


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1 (2) recognizes and applauds the national and 

2 community organizations for their work in pro3 moting awareness about colorectal cancer, providing 

4 information on the importance of prevention and 

5 early detection through regular screening, and facili6 tating access to treatment for its sufferers; and 

7 (3) urges organizations and health practitioners 

8 to ‘‘earn a Blue Star’’ by using this opportunity to 

9 promote awareness about colorectal cancer and to 

10 support early identification and removal of pre-can11 cerous polyps, detectable only through colorectal 

12 cancer screenings. 

Æ 


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