2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 628
Commending the advocates, survivors, families, and others impacted by triple-negative breast cancer.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 19, 2025
WHEREAS, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in women in the United States and occurs in many types; and
WHEREAS, when diagnosing breast cancer, doctors test for the presence or absence of receptors, which are proteins that live within or on the surface of a cell and that bind to parts of the body to cause the cell to react; and
WHEREAS, triple-negative breast cancer is a form of breast cancer in which the cancer cells test negative for the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; and
WHEREAS, triple-negative breast cancer may have the same signs and symptoms as other types of breast cancer, such as a lump or thickening in the breast, changes in the shape or size of the breast, skin changes, and nipple discharge; and
WHEREAS, triple-negative breast cancer accounts for 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancers and is a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, growing and spreading faster and recurring more often following treatment than other types; and
WHEREAS, additionally, due to the lack of certain receptors, which are often targeted by medicines designed to treat breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer has fewer treatment options, resulting in worse prognoses and lower survival rates for patients; and
WHEREAS, triple-negative breast cancer has been shown to be more common in women who are pre-menopausal, who are Black, or who have a BRCA1 mutation, and it is estimated that 20 to 40 percent of Black women who develop breast cancer will have triple-negative breast cancer; and
WHEREAS, the outlook in cases of triple-negative breast cancer depends on a number of factors, including the patient's age, the response to treatment, and the stage of the cancer when it is diagnosed; and
WHEREAS, the advocates, survivors, families, and others impacted by triple-negative breast cancer have shown extraordinary courage and strength in their fight against the disease; and
WHEREAS, every March, the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation and the advocates, survivors, families, and others impacted by triple-negative breast cancer observe Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Month; and
WHEREAS, by raising awareness and understanding of triple-negative breast cancer, the advocates, survivors, families, and others impacted by triple-negative breast cancer hope to improve health outcomes and survival rates by contributing to an increase in screening, diagnostic testing, and early detection and by encouraging research into new and more effective treatments for the disease; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the advocates, survivors, families, and others impacted by triple-negative breast cancer hereby be commended for their bravery and fortitude; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to representatives of the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation as an expression of the House of Delegate's admiration for the organization's mission and best wishes for its success.