Title: Recognizing October 2021 as Liver Cancer Awareness Month.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for access to testing and treatments for liver cancer and related liver diseases.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 740 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 740

       Recognizing October 2021 as Liver Cancer Awareness Month.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 21, 2021

    Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Espaillat) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                         on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Recognizing October 2021 as Liver Cancer Awareness Month.

Whereas liver cancers, and risk factors causing such diseases, have become 
        urgent problems of global proportion;
Whereas in the United States, liver cancer is the fastest-growing cause of 
        cancer-related death and is among the leading causes of cancer-related 
        deaths;
Whereas in the United States, the Division of Cancer Control and Population 
        Sciences of the National Cancer Institute estimated that there will be 
        42,230 new liver cancer diagnoses in the year 2021, and approximately 
        30,200 will die from the disease;
Whereas liver cancer cases are projected to increase 35 percent in the United 
        States;
Whereas, on average, between 20 to 30 percent of individuals with chronic 
        hepatitis B infection, 4 percent of individuals with hepatitis C, 20 
        percent of individuals with hepatitis C-cirrhosis, between 4 to 27 
        percent of individuals with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and between 10 
        to 15 percent of individuals with alcohol-related cirrhosis will develop 
        liver cancer;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Natives are more than twice as likely to 
        develop liver cancer when compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, Native American Pacific 
        Islander and Black men and women are at greater risk of developing liver 
        cancer as compared to the White (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) population;
Whereas among the Native American Pacific Islander population, the higher rate 
        of liver cancer is partially explained by higher incidence rates of 
        hepatitis B and diabetes, which are comorbidities shown to increase the 
        risk of developing liver cancer in an individual;
Whereas the largest increase of liver cancer rates by 2030 is projected to be 
        among African-American men and women; and
Whereas the goals of ``Liver Cancer Awareness Month'' during October 2021 are 
        to--

    (1) highlight the global impact of liver cancer and the risk for all 
people with liver disease;

    (2) recognize that 70 percent of liver cancer cases could potentially 
be prevented and eliminated in part through a comprehensive public 
education and awareness campaign designed to identify those at risk for, 
and living with, liver cancer;

    (3) inform patients about new treatments and clinical trials that are 
available for liver cancer; and

    (4) help increase the length and quality of life for people diagnosed 
with liver cancer: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports broad access to treatments of and testing for 
        the greatest risk factors for liver cancer, including the 
        hepatitis B virus, the hepatitis C virus, nonalcoholic fatty 
        liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, alcohol-related 
        cirrhosis, and other related liver conditions;
            (2) supports raising awareness of the risks and 
        consequences of undiagnosed liver cancer, the importance of 
        screening at-risk populations, and the value of diagnosing 
        early;
            (3) calls for a robust governmental and public health 
        response to protect the health of the approximately 45,000 
        people in the United States who currently have liver cancer; 
        and
            (4) urges the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
        and Prevention to partner with State and local health 
        departments to develop strategies to address risk factors for 
        liver cancer and related liver diseases, including expanding 
        access to hepatitis B vaccination, and access to available 
        treatments of and testing for hepatitis C, nonalcoholic fatty 
        liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis of 
        the liver.
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