Title: Expressing support for the designation of the 17th day in May as "DIPG Awareness Day" to raise awareness and encourage research into cures for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and pediatric cancers in general.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for the designation of DIPG Awareness Day. (DIPG is diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a terminal childhood brain cancer.)
It also encourages public and private sources of research funding to elevate their consideration of the mortality rate of a type of cancer as well as the life years lost as factors considered during the grant application process.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 114 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 114

Expressing support for the designation of the 17th day in May as ``DIPG 
 Awareness Day'' to raise awareness and encourage research into cures 
 for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and pediatric cancers in 
                                general.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 8, 2019

Ms. Speier (for herself, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Stivers, 
  Mr. Raskin, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Vela, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Smith of New 
Jersey, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Cohen, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Langevin, Ms. Brownley 
 of California, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, Mr. Soto, 
    and Mr. Cardenas) submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for the designation of the 17th day in May as ``DIPG 
 Awareness Day'' to raise awareness and encourage research into cures 
 for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and pediatric cancers in 
                                general.

Whereas diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) affects 200 to 400 children in 
        the United States each year with certain regularity;
Whereas brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children;
Whereas DIPG is the second most common malignant brain tumor of childhood;
Whereas DIPG is the leading cause of childhood death due to brain tumors;
Whereas the median survival time is only 9 months postdiagnosis with treatment;
Whereas 5-year survival is less than 1 percent;
Whereas given the age at diagnosis and the average life expectancy, the number 
        of life years lost annually because of DIPG is approximately 24,000 
        years of person life lost (calculated as the number of children 
        diagnosed by average of male and female life expectancy from that median 
        age, 300  x  80 = 24,000 years of person life lost annually);
Whereas prognosis has not improved for children with DIPG in over 40 years; and
Whereas Federal funding for research for pediatric cancer should be increased to 
        address the level of unmet medical need for this vulnerable population: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``DIPG Awareness Day'';
            (2) encourages all people of the United States to become 
        more informed about diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) 
        pediatric brain cancer, and the current challenges to the 
        medical research system in designating sufficient research 
        funding for pediatric cancers;
            (3) supports expanded research to better understand DIPG, 
        develop effective treatments, and provide comprehensive care 
        for children with DIPG and their families; and
            (4) encourages public and private sources of research 
        funding to elevate their consideration of the mortality rate of 
        a type of cancer, as well as the life-years lost, as 
        significant factors to be considered during the grant 
        application process.
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