California Senate Bill SCR17 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SCR 17AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Senator La Malfa FEBRUARY 24, 2011 Relative to Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 17, as amended, La Malfa. Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. This measure would designate the month of September 2011 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, Prostate cancer impacts all Californians and has touched the Senate of the State of California last 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. Approximately  217,730   240,890  new cases of the disease in the United States  were   are  predicted for  2010   2011  , resulting in nearly  32,050   33,720  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 were   25,030 men are  predicted to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in  2010   2011  and each day more than  eight   11  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   30  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 2011 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California and  that   encourages  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.