Amended in Assembly June 24, 2013

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 33

Introduced by Senator Gaines

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom, Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Roger Hernández, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, John A. Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, and Yamada)

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April 2, 2013

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 33—Relative to Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 33, as amended, Gaines. Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

This measure would designate September 2013 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed
cancer in men aside from skin cancer and the second leading cause
of cancer death in men aside from lung cancer; and

WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that one
in six men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime with an
estimated 238,590 new cases of the disease in the United States
predicted for 2013, which would result in an estimated 29,720
deaths; and

WHEREAS, In California, prostate cancer is the most common
cancer among men in most racial and ethnic groups. African
American men are 45 percent more likely to develop this disease
than non-Hispanic white men and 58 percent more likely than
Hispanic men; and

WHEREAS, In California, approximately 20,430 men are
predicted to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013, and, of
this number, approximately 3,085 men are predicted to die of this
disease; and

WHEREAS, The survival rate approaches 100 percent when
prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated early but drops to 28
percent when the disease spreads to other parts of the body; and

WHEREAS, Early stages of prostate cancer usually do not have
symptoms and genetic predisposition may be responsible for 5 to
10 percent of prostate cancer cases; and

WHEREAS, Recent studies suggest that a diet high in processed
meat or dairy foods may increase the risk of prostate cancer, while
obesity may contribute to an increased risk of more aggressive
forms of the disease; and

WHEREAS, Obesity and smoking are associated with an
increased risk of dying from prostate cancer; and

WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society recommends that
all men be given sufficient information on both the benefits and
limitations of early detection and testing for prostate cancer to
allow each man to make a decision based on his personal values
and preferences; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates September
2013 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of
California and encourages public officials and citizens of California
to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature joins communities across our
nation to increase awareness of the importance of each man making
an informed decision with his health care provider with regard to
early detection and testing for prostate cancer; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.