AJR 5, as amended, Gomez. Nationalbegin insert Multiculturalend insert Cancer Awareness Week.
This measure would designate the week of April 20 to 26, 2014, inclusive, as Nationalbegin insert Multiculturalend insert Cancer Awareness Week, encourage the promotion of policies and programs that seek to reduce cancer disparities and, as a result, improve cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and followup care for all Californians, and urge the President and the Congress of the United States to recognize Nationalbegin insert Multiculturalend insert Cancer Awareness Week.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, Nationalbegin insert Multiculturalend insert Cancer Awareness Week
2has been observed across the country each year since 1987 in an
3effort to bring attention to the disparities of cancer among
4medically underserved populations; and
P2 1WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society is participating in
2Nationalbegin insert Multiculturalend insert Cancer Awareness Week to highlight the
3disparities in cancer burdens and to encourage public and private
4sector commitments in helping eliminate these disparities; and
5WHEREAS, California is the most populous and ethnically and
6culturally diverse state in the country, and thus, is in a position to
7provide leadership for the nation to address the reduction of the
8incidence of cancer among all races, ethnicities, and genders; and
9WHEREAS, In California, disparities exist in knowledge about
10cancer, cancer survival, and access to early detection, high-quality
11treatment, health care coverage, and health care. Social inequities
12also exist, including differences in occupational hazards,
13environmental exposures to pollution and other toxins, access to
14education, nutrition, physical activity, safe neighborhoods, healthy
15food options, and other factors that contribute to an increased or
16reduced risk of cancer; and
17WHEREAS, The risk of developing and dying from cancer
18varies considerably among different cultural populations in
19California. The medically underserved are often diagnosed at later
20stages, and with a higher incidence of cancers with higher
21mortality, such as lung cancer, and are more likely to receive
22delayed health care; and
23WHEREAS, Cancer is the leading cause of death among Latinos,
24Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders, and is the second leading
25cause of death for most other Californians; and
26WHEREAS, In California, African American males have the
27highest overall cancer incidence and mortality rates. African
28American women are more likely to die of breast cancer, although
29non-Hispanic white women are the most likely to be diagnosed
30with the disease. African Americans have substantially higher rates
31of cancers of the stomach, small intestine, liver, and larynx,
32myeloma, and Kaposi’s sarcoma than non-Hispanic whites. African
33American men are at especially high risk for prostate cancer, more
34than any other racial and ethnic group; and
35WHEREAS, In California, lung cancer is the most common
36cancer among Laotian and Vietnamese men, while prostate cancer
37is the most common cancer for men in most other ethnic groups.
38Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer among Kampuchean
39and Korean men. Despite an overall statewide decline in colorectal
40cancer rates from 1988-2008, incidence sharply increased among
P3 1Koreans and Vietnamese. Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and
2Latinos have substantially higher rates of liver and stomach cancer
3than other groups. Vietnamese women have much higher rates of
4cervical cancer than non-Hispanic white women. Asian Americans
5have among the lowest rates of screening for breast, cervical, and
6colorectal cancers. There remains a lack of data about factors
7related to cancer, cancer control, and
effective interventions among
8Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; and
9WHEREAS, In California, Latinos have substantially higher
10rates of stomach and liver cancers than other Californians. Latinos
11have higher rates of acute lymphocytic leukemia and cervical
12cancer than non-Hispanic whites. Latinos have the highest
13likelihood of being medically uninsured, which can create serious
14barriers to screenings, early detection, and treatment. Latino women
15have the highest risk of developing cervical cancer, significantly
16higher, than non-Hispanic white women, African American women,
17Asian American women, and Pacific Islander women; and
18WHEREAS, Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
19transgender community are at greater risk for cancer, face specific
20challenges accessing quality health care because of insurance
21policies that fail to cover same-sex partners, and may hesitate to
22access health care because of previous discrimination in health
23care settings. Lesbians have fewer mammograms, pelvic
24examinations, and Pap smear tests than heterosexual women. There
25remains a lack of data about factors related to cancer, cancer
26control, and effective interventions in the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
27and transgender community; now, therefore, be it
28Resolved, by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
29California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President and
30the Congress of the United States to recognize “National
31begin insert Multiculturalend insert Cancer Awareness Week”; and be it further
32Resolved, That the Legislature declares the week of April 20 to
3326, 2014, inclusive, as “Nationalbegin insert Multiculturalend insert Cancer Awareness
34Week,” within the State of California, and encourages the
35promotion of policies and programs that seek to reduce cancer
36disparities and, as a result, improve cancer prevention, detection,
37treatment, and followup care for all Californians; and be it further
38Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
39of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
40States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
P4 1Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative
2from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the
3author for appropriate distribution.
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