HR0368 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0368 LRB103 33332 ECR 63143 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, October is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month; and

WHEREAS, Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the world and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States; and

WHEREAS, More than one in eight women and one in 833 men in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes; and

WHEREAS, In 2023, an estimated 300,590 Americans will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) occurs when breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, including the bones, lungs, liver, and brain, and has an average life expectancy of 24 to 36 months; and

WHEREAS, Regardless of early detection, approximately 30% of stage 0 to stage III breast cancers will return as stage IV; and

WHEREAS, An estimated 43,700 Americans will die from breast cancer in 2023, equal to 115 women and men per day, with 98% due to metastatic breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, Metastatic breast cancer affects all races and socioeconomic classes; and

WHEREAS, While Caucasian women see slightly higher incidence rates of breast cancer, the mortality rate for Black women with breast cancer is 41 percent higher than that of Caucasian women, and breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death for Hispanic women; and

WHEREAS, METAvivor Research and Support, a national organization, funds critical stage IV metastatic breast cancer research and educates the public about metastatic breast cancer and the lack of funding for stage IV treatment; and

WHEREAS, METAvivor aims to dramatically increase the current percentage of breast cancer research dollars from under 5% to 30% per already metastasized patients; and

WHEREAS, The national hashtags for this initiative on social media fall under #METAvivor and #LightUpMBC; and

WHEREAS, There is a global #LightUpMBC campaign on October 13 every year to illuminate 115 landmarks around the world in the metastatic colors of teal, pink, and green to bring awareness to the disease and to honor the daily number of 115 lives lost to MBC; and

WHEREAS, While the pink ribbon is well-known for representing the fight against early stage breast cancer, it is not inclusive of stage IV; therefore, the metastatic breast cancer awareness tri-color ribbon includes teal to portray healing and spirituality, green for the triumph of spring over winter, life over death, renewal, hope, and immortality, and a thin pink overlay to signify that the cancer originated in the breast; and

WHEREAS, The day will culminate in a virtual broadcast, #LightUpMBC Live, to commemorate landmarks lighting around the world, to share inspiring stories by the metastatic breast cancer community, and to raise research funds; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare October 13, 2023 as Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED That we recognize the METAvivor #LightUpMBC national campaign; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage citizens to join the national effort towards awareness of metastatic breast cancer during October through METAvivor; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to METAvivor with our sincere appreciation for their efforts to address breast cancer.