A resolution expressing support for the designation of the month of November 2020 as "Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month".

III 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. RES. 757 Expressing support for the designation of the month of November 2020 as ‘‘Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month’’. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES OCTOBER 23 (legislative day, OCTOBER 19), 2020 Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. COONS, Mr. JONES, and Mr. BROWN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of the month of November 2020 as ‘‘Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month’’. Whereas pancreatic cancer will kill an estimated 47,050 peo- ple in the United States in 2020; Whereas pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of can- cer-related death in the United States; Whereas, in 2020, pancreatic cancer has killed two United States icons—Representative John Lewis and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Whereas an additional 57,600 individuals in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020; Whereas, of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, 66 per- cent will die within the first year of their diagnosis; VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR757.IS SR757 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 757 IS Whereas persistent healthcare inequities and disparities for communities of color compound the devastation of pan- creatic cancer; Whereas the incidence rate for pancreatic cancer among Black Americans is 20 percent higher than that of any other racial demographic; Whereas the pancreatic cancer death rate is 17 percent high- er for Black men than for White men; Whereas the lack of pancreatic cancer early detection re- search accelerates the racial unfairness in the United States healthcare system, with devastating consequences for minorities; Whereas pancreatic cancer has no early detection test to di- agnose this cancer quickly and accurately determine the presence of this cancer; Whereas, if diagnosed early, the 5-year survival rate for pan- creatic cancer patients is above 80 percent; Whereas, if pancreatic cancer is detected late, the 5-year sur- vival rate drops to less than 10 percent; Whereas without adequate funding and early detection re- search, pancreatic cancer is not discovered until the late stages of this horrific cancer when treatment options are limited; Whereas, in fiscal year 2020, pancreatic cancer received its own dedicated research program at the Department of Defense under the Congressionally Directed Medical Re- search Programs; Whereas, in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2020 (division A of Public Law 116–93), Congress ap- propriated funds to the Congressionally Directed Medical VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR757.IS SR757 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 757 IS Research Programs, with $6,000,000 going to the Pan- creatic Cancer Research Program; and Whereas the 116th Congress has a unique opportunity to make a historic investment in pancreatic cancer research at the Department of Defense: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘Pancreatic 2 Cancer Awareness Month’’ for the month of Novem- 3 ber, 2020; 4 (2) recognizes the critical importance of in- 5 creasing funding for pancreatic cancer research at 6 the Department of Defense and the National Insti- 7 tutes of Health to find effective treatments for this 8 cancer and reduce the disproportionate impact on 9 communities of color; and 10 (3) supports the efforts of the many advocacy 11 organizations to educate communities in the United 12 States about pancreatic cancer and the need for 13 more research funding, early-detection initiatives, di- 14 agnostic tests, and effective treatments. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR757.IS SR757 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS