IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 405 
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the need to provide prostate 
cancer patients with meaningful access to information on treatment op-
tions, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 2, 2004 
Mr. DEAL of Georgia (for himself, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. BURR, Mr. NORWOOD, 
Mr. RAHALL, Mr. WAMP, and Mr. WHITFIELD) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the need 
to provide prostate cancer patients with meaningful ac-
cess to information on treatment options, and for other 
purposes. 
Whereas in 2004, it is estimated that approximately 230,000 
new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the 
United States, and nearly 30,000 men in the United 
States will die from prostate cancer; 
Whereas prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer 
death in men in the United States; 
Whereas over $4,700,000,000 is spent annually in the United 
States in direct treatment costs for prostate cancer;
•HCON 405 IH 
Whereas African American men are diagnosed with and die 
from prostate cancer more frequently than men of other 
ethnic backgrounds; 
Whereas increased education among health care providers 
and patients regarding the need for prostate cancer 
screening tests has resulted in the diagnosis of approxi-
mately 86 percent of prostate cancer patients before the 
cancerous cells have spread appreciably beyond the pros-
tate gland, thereby enhancing the odds of successful 
treatment; 
Whereas the potential complication rates for significant side 
effects vary among the most common forms of treatment 
for prostate cancer; 
Whereas prostate cancer often strikes elderly people in the 
United States, highlighting the importance of balancing 
the potential benefits and risks of various treatments on 
an individual basis; and 
Whereas Congress as an whole, and Members of Congress as 
individuals, are in unique positions to support the fight 
against prostate cancer, to help raise public awareness 
about the need to make screening tests available to all 
people at risk for prostate cancer, and to provide prostate 
cancer patients with adequate information to assess the 
relative benefits and risks of treatment options: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) national and community organizations and 
health care providers have played a commendable 
role in supplying information concerning the impor-
•HCON 405 IH 
tance of screening for prostate cancer and the treat-
ment options for patients with prostate cancer; and 
(2) the Federal Government and the States 
have a moral responsibility to ensure that health 
care providers supply prostate cancer patients with 
appropriate information and any other tools nec-
essary for prostate cancer patients to receive readily 
understandable descriptions of the advantages, dis-
advantages, benefits, and risks of all medically effi-
cacious treatments for prostate cancer, including 
brachytherapy, hormonal treatments, external beam 
radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and watchful wait-
ing. 
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