RESOLUTION CHAPTER _______

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 76—Relative to Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 76, Gaines. Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

This measure would designate September 2015 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in California.

WHEREAS, Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men aside from skin cancer, and it is estimated that one in seven men will develop this disease in his lifetime; and

WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 220,800 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2015, resulting in an estimated 27,540 deaths; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that 21,060 men in California will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and an estimated 3,180 California men will die from this disease; and

WHEREAS, African American men have the highest prostate cancer incidence rates in the world, and their prostate cancer mortality rate in the United States is more than twice that of any other ethnic group of men; and

WHEREAS, Early prostate cancer usually has no symptoms, and studies suggest strong familial predisposition may be responsible for 5 percent to 10 percent of the disease cases; and

WHEREAS, Recent studies suggest that a diet high in processed meat or dairy foods may be a risk factor, and obesity appears to increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer; and

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

WHEREAS, Treatment options for prostate cancer vary depending on a man’s age and the stage and grade of his cancer, as well as his other existing medical conditions; and

WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society recommends that a man should have an opportunity to make an informed decision about whether to be tested for prostate cancer 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 hereby proclaims September 2015 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature joins communities across our nation to increase awareness about the importance for men to make informed decisions with their health care providers about 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.

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