85R20595 BK-D
By: Rose H.R. No. 1249
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature designated April as Minority
Cancer Awareness Month in a 2011 bill authored by Representative
Ruth Jones McClendon, herself a cancer survivor, and this annual
observance serves to raise awareness of the issue of cancer
inequality and the lifesaving power of prevention and early
detection; and
WHEREAS, Some minority groups face disproportionately high
incidence and death rates from cancer, and these disparities are
believed to be rooted in socioeconomic factors, including higher
levels of poverty; because poverty coincides with reduced access to
health insurance, members of minority groups may delay in seeking
diagnosis and treatment for health problems, resulting in cancer
being detected at more advanced stages with a far less optimistic
prognosis; and
WHEREAS, The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of
Texas prioritizes funding of cancer prevention and early detection
programs for underserved populations, with grantees providing over
3.3 million services to Texans across the state; and
WHEREAS, Further support comes from the UT Southwestern
Moncrief Cancer Institute, which operates the first-of-its-kind
Mobile Cancer Survivor Clinic; funded in part by a grant from CPRIT
and in part through the Texas Medicaid 1115 Waiver Program, the
mobile clinic enables the delivery of vital health services,
including colon and breast cancer screenings, financial and genetic
counseling, and nutritional planning, to areas where many cancer
survivors may not have convenient access to care; and
WHEREAS, The "80% by 2018" program is a special initiative
led by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable in which more than
1,000 organizations have committed to the goal of substantially
reducing colorectal cancer as a major public health problem for
those 50 years of age and older; as a result of their involvement,
the effort is expected to prevent more than 200,000 colorectal
cancer deaths by the year 2030; and
WHEREAS, Thanks to initiatives such as these, there is more
hope than ever before of increasing cancer survival rates among
minorities, and Minority Cancer Awareness Month provides a fitting
opportunity to commend these efforts and to acknowledge the vital
work that remains to be done; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 2017 as Minority Cancer
Awareness Month and encourage all Texans to learn more about
preventative measures and to seek medical attention at the first
warning signs of cancer.