Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0444

HR0444 LRB104 14797 ECR 27940 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the United States; and

WHEREAS, An estimated 319,750 Americans will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2025, and tragically, 42,680 lives will be lost to the disease, equivalent to 117 lives per day, with 98% of those deaths being due to metastatic breast cancer (MBC); and

WHEREAS, MBC occurs when breast cancer spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body, including the bones, liver, lungs, and brain; despite advances in early detection and treatment, approximately 30% of early-stage breast cancers will eventually metastasize with no known cure; and

WHEREAS, Individuals with MBC face a median life expectancy of approximately three years, yet less than 10% of U.S. breast cancer research funding is dedicated to studying this terminal stage of the disease; increasing investment in MBC-specific research is critical to transforming it from a terminal illness into a chronic, manageable condition; and

WHEREAS, METAvivor Research and Support is a national nonprofit dedicated to funding stage IV MBC research, supporting patients, and advocating for equitable distribution of breast cancer research dollars, seeking to increase MBC funding to at least 30% of all breast cancer research; and

WHEREAS, Racial disparities persist in breast cancer outcomes; while white women have slightly higher incidence rates of breast cancer, Black women are 40% more likely to die from the disease, and breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death for Hispanic women; addressing these inequities through research, education, and access to care is essential; and

WHEREAS, The #LightUpMBC global campaign, in partnership with METAvivor, illuminates over 117 landmarks across the world in the MBC awareness colors of teal, green, and pink on October 13th of each year; this campaign honors lives lost to MBC, amplifies patient voices, and raises crucial funds for MBC research; and

WHEREAS, While the pink ribbon is widely recognized for early-stage breast cancer awareness, it does not represent those living with stage IV breast cancer; the MBC awareness ribbon, a tricolor combination of teal to represent healing, green to represent hope, and pink to represent the origin of breast cancer, symbolizes the unique challenges of the MBC community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare October 13, 2025 as Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage all residents to join in the national effort to raise awareness by illuminating local landmarks in teal, green, and pink and supporting the urgent need for increased metastatic breast cancer (MBC) research funding.