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SENATE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, Countless families in the United States live with 
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prostate cancer; and

 
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    WHEREAS, One out of six men in the United States live with 
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prostate cancer; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Over the past decade, prostate cancer has been the 
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most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the second most 
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common cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United 
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States; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In 2008, according to estimates from the American 
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Cancer Society, 186,320 men in the United States will be 
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diagnosed with prostate cancer and 28,660 men in the United 
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States will die of prostate cancer; and

 
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    WHEREAS, African-American males suffer a prostate cancer 
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incidence rate up to 60 percent higher than white males and 
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more than double the mortality rate; and

 
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    WHEREAS, African-American men have the highest mortality 
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rate of any ethnic and racial group in the United States, dying 
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at a rate that is 140 percent higher than other ethnic and 
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racial groups; and
 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, Obesity is a significant predictor of the severity 
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of prostate cancer and the probability that the disease will 
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lead to death; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the month 
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of September 2008 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the 
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State of Illinois; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That we declare that the Illinois government has 
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a responsibility:
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    (a) to raise awareness about the importance of screening 
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methods for, and treatment of, prostate cancer;
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    (b) to increase research funding that is commensurate with 
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the burden of the disease so that the screening and treatment 
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of prostate cancer may be improved, and so that the causes of, 
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and a cure for, prostate cancer may be discovered; and
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    (c) to continue to consider ways for improving access to, 
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and the quality of, health care services for detecting and 
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treating prostate cancer; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That we request the Governor to issue a 
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proclamation calling on the people of the United States, 
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interested groups, and affected persons:
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    (a) to promote awareness of prostate cancer;
 


 






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    (b) to take an active role in the fight to end the 
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devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals, their 
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families, and the economy;
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    (c) to urge Congress to prohibit the application of LCA or 
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similar policies for drugs and biologicals that unfairly target 
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prostate cancer patients; and
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    (d) to observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 
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with appropriate ceremonies and activities; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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presented to the Governor and the members of the Illinois 
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congressional delegation.