BILL NUMBER: SCR 86CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 123 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 7, 2010 ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 23, 2010 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 30, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 12, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 15, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Senator Aanestad (Coauthors: Senators Ashburn, Cedillo, Cogdill, Cox, DeSaulnier, Dutton, Emmerson, Harman, Hollingsworth, Huff, Pavley, Runner, Simitian, Strickland, Wiggins, Wright, and Wyland) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Adams, Anderson, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Carter, Conway, Cook, DeVore, Fuller, Gaines, Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Harkey, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Logue, Lieu, Ma, Miller, Niello, Nielsen, Portantino, Smyth, Audra Strickland, Swanson, and Tran) MARCH 9, 2010 Relative to Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 86, Aanestad. Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. This measure would designate the month of September 2010 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California. WHEREAS, Prostate cancer impacts all Californians and has touched the Senate of the State of California this year with the passing of Senator Dave Cox after a 13-year battle with the disease; and WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that one in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime and that there will be approximately 217,730 new cases of the disease in the United States in the current year, resulting in nearly 32,050 deaths; and WHEREAS, In California, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in all race and ethnic groups. African American men are 50 percent more likely to develop this disease than any other group of men; and WHEREAS, In California, approximately 20,120 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year and each day more than eight California men will die of this disease; and WHEREAS, While prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in men, little is known about this disease and there are usually no symptoms in the early stages; and WHEREAS, The survival rate approaches 100 percent when prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated early, but drops to 31 percent when the disease spreads to other parts of the body; and WHEREAS, A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal examination (DRE) diagnose most prostate cancers before symptoms develop; and WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society recommends that health care providers offer the PSA and DRE annually to men who have at least a 10-year life expectancy, beginning when the men are 50 years of age; and WHEREAS, Men who have a father, son, or brother who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer before 65 years of age, and African American men should be offered a PSA and DRE annually beginning when they are 45 years of age; and WHEREAS, Men who have multiple family members who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer before 65 years of age should be offered a PSA and DRE annually beginning when they are 40 years of age; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the month of September 2010 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California and that public officials and citizens of California are encouraged to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature joins communities across our nation to increase the awareness of the importance of early detection and treatment of prostate cancer; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.