AJR 5, as amended, Gomez. National Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week.
This measure would designate the week of April 20 to 26, 2014, inclusive, as National Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week, encouragebegin delete the promotion ofend deletebegin insert continued research intoend insert 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 National Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, National Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week
2has been observed across the country each year since 1987 in an
P1 1effort to bring attention to the disparities of cancer among
2medically underserved populations; and
3WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society is participating in
4National Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week to highlight the
5disparities in cancer burdens and to encourage public and private
6sector commitments in helping eliminate these disparities; and
7WHEREAS, California is the most populous and ethnically and
8culturally diverse state in the country, and thus, is in a position to
9provide leadership for the nation to address the reduction of the
10incidence of cancer among all races, ethnicities, and genders; and
11WHEREAS, In California, disparities exist in knowledge about
12cancer, cancer survival, and access to early detection, high-quality
13treatment, health care coverage, and health care. Social inequities
14also exist, including differences in occupational hazards,
15environmental exposures to pollution and other toxins, access to
16education, nutrition, physical activity, safe neighborhoods, healthy
17food options, and other factors that contribute to an increased or
18reduced risk of cancer; and
19WHEREAS, The risk of developing and dying from cancer
20varies considerably among different cultural populations in
21California. The medically underserved are often diagnosed at later
22stages, and with a higher incidence of cancers with higher
23mortality, such as lung cancer, and are more likely to receive
24delayed health care; and
25WHEREAS, Cancer is the leading cause of death among Latinos,
26Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders, and is the second leading
27cause of death for most other Californians; and
28WHEREAS, In California, African American males have the
29highest overall cancer incidence and mortality rates. African
30American women are more likely to die of breast cancer, although
31non-Hispanic white women are the most likely to be diagnosed
32with the disease. African Americans have substantially higher rates
33of cancers of the stomach, small intestine, liver, and larynx,
34myeloma, and Kaposi’s sarcoma than non-Hispanic whites. African
35American men are at especially high risk for prostate cancer, more
36than any other racial and ethnic group; and
37WHEREAS, In California, lung cancer is the most common
38cancer among Laotian and Vietnamese men, while prostate cancer
39is the most common cancer for men in most other ethnic groups.
40Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer among Kampuchean
P3 1and Korean men. Despite an overall statewide decline in colorectal
2cancer rates from 1988-2008, incidence sharply increased among
3Koreans and Vietnamese. Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and
4Latinos have substantially higher rates of liver and stomach cancer
5than other groups. Vietnamese women have much higher rates of
6cervical cancer than non-Hispanic white women. Asian Americans
7have among the lowest rates of screening for breast, cervical, and
8colorectal cancers. There remains a lack of data about factors
9related to cancer, cancer control,
and effective interventions among
10Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; and
11WHEREAS, In California, Latinos have substantially higher
12rates of stomach and liver cancers than other Californians. Latinos
13have higher rates of acute lymphocytic leukemia and cervical
14cancer than non-Hispanic whites. Latinos have the highest
15likelihood of being medically uninsured, which can create serious
16barriers to screenings, early detection, and treatment. Latino women
17have the highest risk of developing cervical cancer, significantly
18higher, than non-Hispanic white women, African American women,
19Asian American women, and Pacific Islander women; and
20WHEREAS,begin delete Membersend deletebegin insert According to the American Cancer
21Society, membersend insert of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
22community are at greater risk for cancer,begin delete faceend deletebegin insert have facedend insert specific
23challenges accessing quality healthbegin delete care because of insurance begin insert care,end insert
and may hesitate
24policies that fail to cover same-sex partners,end delete
25to access health care because of previous discrimination in health
26care settings. Lesbians have fewer mammograms, pelvic
27examinations, and Pap smear tests than heterosexual women. There
28remains a lack of data about factors related to cancer, cancer
29control, and effective interventions in the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
30and transgender community; now, therefore, be it
31Resolved, by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
32California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President and
33the Congress of the United States to recognize “National
34Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week”; and be it further
35Resolved, That the Legislature declares the week of April 20 to
3626, 2014, inclusive, as “National Multicultural Cancer Awareness
37Week,” within the State of California, and encouragesbegin delete the begin insert continued research intoend insert policies and programs that
38promotion ofend delete
39seek to reduce cancer disparities and, as a result, improve cancer
P4 1prevention, detection, treatment, and followup care for all
2Californians; and be it further
3Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
4of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
5States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
6Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative
7from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the
8author for appropriate distribution.
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