[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17] [Senate] [Page 22222] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SENATE RESOLUTION 617--DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 2006 AS ``NATIONAL LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH'' Mr. CHAMBLISS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary: S. Res. 617 Whereas lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of both men and women, accounting for nearly 1 in every 3 cancer deaths in the United States; Whereas lung cancer claims the lives of more people each year than breast, prostate, colon, liver, and kidney cancers combined; Whereas the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute estimates that, in 2006, 174,470 new lung cancer cases will be diagnosed and 162,460 individuals will die of lung cancer in the United States; Whereas both incidence and mortality rates for lung cancer are significantly higher in black males than in the general population of the United States; Whereas smoking causes 87 percent of lung cancer deaths in the United States; Whereas the best way to decrease the number of diagnoses and deaths per year from lung cancer is to encourage people in the United States to quit smoking; Whereas a former smoker's risk of lung cancer does not decrease significantly until 20 years after the individual quit smoking; Whereas the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program has demonstrated in a 14-year study with 31,567 participants that computer tomography scans can detect lung cancer in Stage I when the cancer can be more easily treated and cured, giving individuals who are diagnosed early a 10-year survival rate of 88 percent; Whereas there is a need to increase public awareness of statistics, risk factors, and the importance of early diagnosis; Whereas individuals with cancers that are routinely diagnosed at early stages through screening, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, have high survival rates of 88 percent and 99 percent, respectively; Whereas the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer in the United States is still only 15 percent, a rate virtually unchanged since the enactment of the National Cancer Act of 1971; and Whereas designating November 2006 as ``National Lung Cancer Awareness Month'', as proposed by the Lung Cancer Alliance and the Lung Cancer Alliance of Georgia, will increase public awareness about lung cancer and the need for lung cancer research and early detection: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) designates November 2006 as ``National Lung Cancer Awareness Month''; and (2) reaffirms the Senate's commitment to-- (A) advancing lung cancer research and early detection, and particularly the Lung Cancer Alliance of Georgia's goal of significantly increasing the 5-year survival rate of individuals diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States to 50 percent within 10 years; and (B) working with all Federal agencies involved in cancer research to develop a coordinated roadmap for accomplishing that goal. Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, today I am submitting a resolution recognizing November as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. It is important for Americans to recognize the large number of individuals who are diagnosed with and die from lung cancer each year. This resolution is a reminder to all Americans to help raise awareness about lung cancer, including the importance of early detection and treatment of this dreadful disease. In the United States, nearly 125,000 Americans die from lung, trachea, and bronchus cancer each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control, CDC, lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths nationally for men and women. More American women will die from lung cancer than die from breast cancer each year. The disease kills more individuals than breast, prostate, colon, liver, and kidney cancers combined. In my home state of Georgia this year alone, more than 6,200 Georgians will be diagnosed with and almost 5,000 will die from lung cancer. The best way to decrease the amount of diagnosis and deaths per year from lung cancer is for Americans not to smoke. According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is harmful to human health and plays a major role in 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths. The sooner that a person quits smoking, the greater chance that person has of not contracting lung cancer. For the fiscal year 2007, the National Institutes of Health, NIH, will spend an estimated $285 million, and the National Cancer Institute, NCI, will spend $261 million on lung cancer research. This money will be spent to reduce the risk of contracting the disease and find a cure for lung cancer. As our Nation continues the fight against cancer, it is important for Congress to provide continued support to the NIH and NCI in order to find a cure for this terrible disease and reach our goal of eliminating suffering and death from cancer by 2015. Through advancements in science and research, cancer has become one of the most preventable and increasingly curable life threatening diseases. As a cancer survivor, I will be the first to tell you that prevention and detection greatly increases your chances of survival. It is my hope that recognizing November as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month will remind everyone that maintaining a healthy lifestyle coupled with early detection through screening greatly reduces the risk of cancer. I commend the Lung Cancer Alliance of Georgia on all of their hard work in helping to raise awareness regarding this deadly disease. The Lung Cancer Alliance of Georgia has been at the forefront in organizing the state movement to combat lung cancer, releasing a state report card for Georgia that brings to light many specific problems our state has in relation to lung cancer. It is important to bring these problems to the forefront in order to work together to help reduce the rate of lung cancer incidence and deaths. I commend my friend Ed Levitt, his wife Linda, and Lung Cancer Alliance of Georgia, for all of their hard work in making lung cancer awareness a top priority. ____________________