PRINTER'S NO.  2455

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

No.

427

Session of

2011

  

  

INTRODUCED BY VULAKOVICH, ADOLPH, BAKER, BOBACK, K. BOYLE, BRENNAN, BROOKS, R. BROWN, V. BROWN, BUXTON, CAUSER, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DELOZIER, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, ELLIS, EMRICK, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FLECK, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GILLEN, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, HAHN, HEFFLEY, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, KAVULICH, KILLION, KNOWLES, KORTZ, LONGIETTI, MAHER, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MALONEY, MARSHALL, MARSICO, METCALFE, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILLER, MILNE, MIRABITO, MOUL, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PEIFER, PICKETT, PYLE, QUINN, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, ROCK, ROEBUCK, ROSS, SABATINA, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, CULVER, SONNEY, STERN, STEVENSON, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TOOHIL, VEREB, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD, OCTOBER 3, 2011

  

  

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, OCTOBER 3, 2011  

  

  

  

A RESOLUTION

  

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Designating the month of November 2011 as "Pancreatic Cancer

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Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

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WHEREAS, More than 43,000 people will be diagnosed with

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pancreatic cancer this year in the United States, and 36,000

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will die from the disease; and

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WHEREAS, Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest cancer and the

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fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States; and

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WHEREAS, Annually, more than 2,000 Pennsylvanians have been

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diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, making it the fifth highest

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state in the United States for occurrence of the disease; and

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WHEREAS, Seventy-five percent of pancreatic cancer patients

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die within the first year of their diagnosis, and 94% of

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pancreatic cancer patients die within the first five years; and 

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WHEREAS, There is no cure for pancreatic cancer and there has

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been no significant improvements in early detection, treatment

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methods or survival rates; and

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WHEREAS, In the last 25 years, survival rates for the disease

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have only increased from 3% to 6%; and 

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WHEREAS, When symptoms of pancreatic cancer present

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themselves, it is usually too late for an optimistic prognosis,

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and the average life expectancy of those diagnosed with

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metastatic disease is only three to six months; and 

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WHEREAS, Incidents of pancreatic cancer are higher in men

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than in women and higher in African Americans than in other

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ethnic groups; and 

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WHEREAS, The Federal Government invests less money in

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pancreatic cancer research than it does in any of the other

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leading cancers; and 

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WHEREAS, The good health and well-being of the residents of

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this Commonwealth are enhanced as a direct result of increased

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awareness about pancreatic cancer and research into early

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detection, causes and effective treatment; and 

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WHEREAS, The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the first

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and only national patient advocacy organization that services

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the pancreatic cancer community in Pennsylvania and nationwide

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by focusing its efforts on public policy, research funding,

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patient services and public awareness and education related to

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developing effective treatments and a cure for pancreatic

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cancer; and 

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WHEREAS, The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its

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affiliates support those patients currently battling pancreatic

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cancer, as well as the families of those who have lost their

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lives to the disease, and are committed to nothing less than a

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cure; and 

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WHEREAS, The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is dedicated to

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increasing funding for pancreatic cancer research and to

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advocating for the allocation of appropriate research funding

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from the Federal Government to the National Cancer Institute to

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discover and develop enhanced detection techniques and improved

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treatment methods for pancreatic cancer; therefore be it

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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the

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month of November 2011 as "Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month" in

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Pennsylvania in support of the goals of educating the citizens

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of this Commonwealth about the lethality of pancreatic cancer,

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how quickly it claims the lives of those afflicted and the lack

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of adequate funding toward lifesaving research and detection

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methods.

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