1Designating the month of September 2014 as "Childhood Cancer
2Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania, honoring those young people
3who have lost their lives to childhood cancer, expressing
4gratitude to the doctors and nurses who provide special care
5to patients and families affected by childhood cancer, and
6encouraging all citizens to join the fight against childhood
7cancer in this Commonwealth.

8WHEREAS, Childhood cancers make up less than 1% of all
9cancers diagnosed each year and childhood cancer rates have been
10rising slightly for the past few decades; and

11WHEREAS, Childhood cancer is the second leading cause of
12death in children under the age of 15, exceeded only by
13accidents, and about 1,350 children are expected to die of

1cancer in 2014; and

2WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that about
310,450 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be
4diagnosed with cancer in 2014; and

5WHEREAS, The potential years of life lost to childhood cancer
6and the potential years of life saved by treatment exceed all
7other cancers with the exception of breast cancer; and

8WHEREAS, Most children cannot be treated at a local hospital,
9and families must face the disruption of moving for treatment at
10a regional cancer center; and

11WHEREAS, Because of major treatment advances in recent
12decades, more than 80% of children with cancer now survive 5
13years or more; and

14WHEREAS, This is a huge increase since the mid-1970s, when
15the 5-year survival rate was less than 60%; and

16WHEREAS, Survival rates vary depending on the type of cancer
17and other factors; and

18WHEREAS, There is significant progress that still must be
19made with regard to childhood cancer treatment because there are
20many types of childhood cancer, and some varieties with lower
21survival rates are still very difficult to treat; and

22WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is a leader in the fight against and
23treatment of childhood cancer with six Children's Oncology Group
24hospitals, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, The
25Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Geisinger Medical Center,
26Lehigh Valley Hospital - Muhlenburg, Hershey Medical Center and
27Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; and

28WHEREAS, Two of only ten institutions in the Pediatric Brain
29Tumor Consortium are in Pennsylvania, The Children's Hospital of
30Philadelphia and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Penn

1State Hershey Children's Hospital is one of only 11 institutions
2nationwide in the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutic
3Consortium; therefore be it

4RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
5month of September 2014 as "Childhood Cancer Awareness Month" in
6Pennsylvania; and be it further

7RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor those young
8people who have lost their lives to childhood cancer, express
9gratitude to the doctors and nurses who provide special care to
10patients and families affected by childhood cancer, and
11encourage all citizens to join the fight against childhood
12cancer in this Commonwealth.