[Filed with Secretary of State September 10, 2015.]
ACR 68, Steinorth. Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Month.
This measure would proclaim the month of October 2015 as “Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Month.”
WHEREAS, According to the American Cancer Society, with the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women; and
WHEREAS, Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 24,985 women and 200 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in California each year, and approximately 4,280 women and 35 men die of the disease; and
WHEREAS, The number of women who die of breast cancer each year in California constitutes one-tenth of the number of women who die of breast cancer in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer in her lifetime is about 1 in 8, and the chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 36; and
WHEREAS, The risk of getting breast cancer increases with age; and
WHEREAS, Earlier detection of breast cancer through mammography and self-examination increases chances of successful treatment; and
WHEREAS, With early detection and proper treatment, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer has increased from 72 percent in the 1940s to 89.2 percent today. However, once the cancer spreads beyond the breast, the survival rate drops to a mere 25 percent even with modern treatments and technologies; and
WHEREAS, The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women between 50 and 74 years of age should have a breast examination by a health expert every two years; and
WHEREAS, Mammography is the single most effective method of detecting breast changes that may be cancer, long before physical symptoms, detectable lumps, or abnormalities can be felt; and
WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of all Californians to join this continuing battle against breast cancer by promoting greater awareness of the need for early detection, appropriate treatment, and the importance of finding a cure, as well as a means of prevention; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the month of October 2015 is hereby declared “Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Month” in California; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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