III
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 288
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 1, 2007
Mr. Sessions (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Inhofe, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Specter, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Dole, Ms. Snowe, and Mr. Cochran) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
September 6, 2007
Reported by Mr. Leahy, without amendment
September 7, 2007
Considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Designating September 2007 as
National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
.
Whereas countless families in the United States live with prostate cancer;
Whereas 1 in 6 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime;
Whereas over the past decade, prostate cancer has been the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States;
Whereas, in 2007, according to estimates from the American Cancer Society, over 218,890 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 27,050 men in the United States will die of prostate cancer;
Whereas 30 percent of new diagnoses of prostate cancer occur in men under the age of 65;
Whereas a man in the United States turns 50 years old about every 14 seconds, increasing his odds of developing cancer, including prostate cancer;
Whereas African-American males suffer a prostate cancer incidence rate up to 65 percent higher than White males and double the mortality rates;
Whereas obesity is a significant predictor of the severity of prostate cancer and the probability that the disease will lead to death;
Whereas if a man in the United States has 1 family member diagnosed with prostate cancer, he has double the risk of prostate cancer, if he has 2 family members with such diagnoses, he has 5 times the risk, and if he has 3 family members with such diagnoses, he then has a 97 percent risk of prostate cancer;
Whereas screening by both a digital rectal examination (DRE) and a prostate specific antigen blood test (PSA) can diagnose the disease in earlier and more treatable stages and reduce prostate cancer mortality;
Whereas ongoing research promises further improvements in prostate cancer prevention, early detection, and treatments; and
Whereas educating people in the United States, including health care providers, about prostate cancer and early detection strategies is crucial to saving the lives of men and preserving and protecting families: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
designates
September 2007 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness
Month
;
declares that the Federal Government has a responsibility—
to raise awareness about the importance of screening methods for, and treatment of, prostate cancer;
to increase research funding that is commensurate with the burden of the disease so that the screening and treatment of prostate cancer may be improved, and so that the causes of, and a cure for, prostate cancer may be discovered; and
to continue to consider ways for improving access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer; and
requests the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States, interested groups, and affected persons—
to promote awareness of prostate cancer;
to take an active role in the fight to end the devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals, their families, and the economy; and
to observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.