Title: Supporting the designation of July 21, 2021, as "Glioblastoma Awareness Day".
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution supports the designation of Glioblastoma Awareness Day. Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 391 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 391

    Supporting the designation of July 21, 2021, as ``Glioblastoma 
                            Awareness Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 12, 2021

Mr. Mast (for himself, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Langevin, and Mr. Gallagher) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                         on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Supporting the designation of July 21, 2021, as ``Glioblastoma 
                            Awareness Day''.

Whereas approximately 13,000 new cases of glioblastoma will be diagnosed in the 
        United States in 2021;
Whereas glioblastoma is--

    (1) the most common malignant, cancerous brain tumor, accounting for 
approximately half 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 every year;
Whereas the 5-year survival rate for glioblastoma patients is only 7.2 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 relative to other types of cancers, brain cancer has--

    (1) the highest per-patient initial cost of care, with an annualized 
mean net cost of care approaching $150,000; and

    (2) the highest annualized mean net costs for last-year-of-life care, 
with a cost of between $135,000 and $210,000 per patient, depending on the 
age and gender of a patient;

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 although glioblastoma was first described in medical and scientific 
        literature in the 1920s, and despite its devastating prognosis, only 4 
        drugs and 1 medical device have been approved by the Food and Drug 
        Administration to treat glioblastoma since the 1920s and the mortality 
        rates associated with glioblastoma have changed little during the past 
        30 years;
Whereas as a promising first step 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, with an initial $6,000,000 
        available for multi-institutional GTN teams to drive therapeutic agents 
        through pre-clinical studies and early-phase clinical trials 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 and treatment advances for 
glioblastoma: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``Glioblastoma Awareness 
        Day'';
            (2) encourages increased public awareness of glioblastoma;
            (3) honors the individuals who have lost their lives to 
        glioblastoma, a devastating disease, or are currently living 
        with it;
            (4) supports efforts to develop better treatments for 
        glioblastoma that will improve the long-term prognosis and 
        quality of life of individuals diagnosed with the disease;
            (5) expresses its support for the individuals who are 
        battling brain tumors, as well as the families, friends, and 
        caregivers of those individuals;
            (6) urges a collaborative approach to brain tumor research, 
        which is a promising means of advancing the understanding and 
        treatment of glioblastoma; and
            (7) encourages continued Federal investments in 
        glioblastoma research and treatments, including through the 
        Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network and other existing brain 
        tumor research resources.
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