A RESOLUTION

 

1Designating the month of September 2013 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 1,310 children are expected to die of cancer
14in 2013; and

15WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that about

111,630 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be
2diagnosed with cancer in 2013; and

3WHEREAS, The potential years of life lost to childhood cancer
4and the potential years of life saved by treatment exceed all
5other cancers with the exception of breast cancer; and

6WHEREAS, Most children cannot be treated at a local hospital,
7and families must face the disruption of moving for treatment at
8a regional cancer center; and

9WHEREAS, Because of major treatment advances in recent
10decades, more than 80% of children with cancer now survive 5
11years or more; and

12WHEREAS, This is a huge increase since the mid-1970s, when
13the 5-year survival rate was less than 60%; and

14WHEREAS, Survival rates vary depending on the type of cancer
15and other factors; and

16WHEREAS, There is significant progress that still must be
17made with regard to childhood cancer treatment, because there
18are many types of childhood cancer, and some varieties with
19lower survival rates are still very difficult to treat; and

20WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is a leader in the fight against and
21treatment of childhood cancer with six Children's Oncology Group
22hospitals, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, The
23Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Geisinger Medical Center,
24Lehigh Valley Hospital - Muhlenburg, Hershey Medical Center and
25Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; and

26WHEREAS, Two of only ten institutions in the Pediatric Brain
27Tumor Consortium are in Pennsylvania, The Children's Hospital of
28Philadelphia and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Penn
29State Hershey Children's Hospital is one of only 11 institutions
30nationwide in the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutic

1Consortium; therefore be it

2RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
3month of September 2013 as "Childhood Cancer Awareness Month" in
4Pennsylvania; and be it further

5RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor those young
6people who have lost their lives to childhood cancer, express
7gratitude to the doctors and nurses who provide special care to
8patients and families affected by childhood cancer, and
9encourage all citizens to join the fight against childhood
10cancer in this Commonwealth.