SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 684
WHEREAS, Cancer remains one of the most pressing public
health concerns in the United States, and it is estimated that in
2019, more than 1.7 million Americans will be diagnosed with
cancer and over 600,000 will die from the disease; and
WHEREAS, One in every two men and one in every three women
in the United States will learn that they have cancer during his
or her lifetime; cancer is currently the second leading cause of
death in the nation, and it is on track to become the number one
disease-related killer; among some racial and ethnic minorities,
as well as low-income and elderly populations, it exacts an even
greater toll in terms of incidence, prevalence, and mortality; and
WHEREAS, Cancer is projected to cost the United States
approximately $170 billion in 2019, and the economic burden of
the disease is expected to rise along with the number of
cancer-related deaths; and
WHEREAS, Advancements in understanding the causes,
mechanisms, diagnoses, treatment, and prevention of cancer have
led to cures for many types and have converted others into
manageable chronic conditions; effective therapies and screening
tools for certain forms of cancer remain elusive, however, and
some, such as pancreatic, liver, lung, ovarian, and brain cancer,
continue to have extraordinarily high mortality rates; and
WHEREAS, Partnerships among research scientists, cancer
survivors, patient advocates, philanthropic organizations,
government entities, and the general public have resulted in
breakthroughs that have increased early detection and survival
rates and improved the quality of life of cancer sufferers; and
WHEREAS, The Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas
is the second-largest source of cancer research after the
National Cancer Institute; since its establishment in 2007,
CPRIT has recruited over 170 researchers to the state, created
more than 10,000 permanent jobs, increased biotech investment in
the state by 11 percent, and detected over 15,000 cancer
precursors and 3,500 cancers; CPRIT has additionally facilitated
109 clinical trials and studies that have involved some 13,000
patients, and the $2 billion that the State of Texas has invested
through CPRIT to date has produced $2.7 billion in outside
investment; and
WHEREAS, The State of Texas is fortunate to have scientists
and researchers of exceptional skill who are on the front lines
of the fight against cancer, and National Cancer Research Month
in May provides an opportune time to express our support for
their lifesaving efforts; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th
Legislature, hereby recognize May 2019 as Cancer Research Month
in Texas and honor the invaluable contributions of researchers in
the Lone Star State and beyond for their dedication to ending the
cancer epidemic.
Watson, Huffman,
Nelson
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 2, 2019.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate