Posted: | June 19, 2014 12:03 PM |
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From: | Representative Florindo J. Fabrizio |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | National Sarcoma Awareness Month in Pennsylvania |
In the near future, I plan to introduce a resolution designating the month of July 2014 as National Sarcoma Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. Sarcoma is a cancer of connective tissues, such as nerves, muscles, joints, fat, bones, and blood vessels, and it can arise anywhere in the body. Sarcomas are divided into two main groups, bone sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas. They are further sub-classified based on the type of presumed cell of origin found in the tumor. They all share certain microscopic characteristics and have similar symptoms. Sarcomas can develop in children and adults. For children under 20, approximately 15 percent of cancer diagnoses are sarcomas. Although rare, there are approximately 13,000 new cases of sarcoma diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. Even though the need for sarcoma research is great, most cancer research funds are used for the more well-known cancers. According to the National Cancer Institute, sarcomas affect thousands of people; yet they are rare cancers that receive limited research funding, and are often misdiagnosed and underreported. For this reason, sarcomas are not fully understood, and this makes them difficult to treat. Please join me by co-sponsoring this resolution as we continue to draw attention to the importance of sarcoma. There is a need for continued coordination and cooperation between, researchers, families, and the public to improve treatments and prognoses for people affected by disease. |
Introduced as HR927