PRINTER'S NO. 2409
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
463
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, BARRAR, BERNSTINE, BIZZARRO, BOBACK,
BRIGGS, BROOKS, BROWN, BURNS, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CIRESI,
COOK, COX, SCHLEGEL CULVER, DAY, DEASY, DeLUCA, DONATUCCI,
ECKER, EMRICK, EVERETT, FITZGERALD, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, FRITZ,
GILLESPIE, GOODMAN, GREINER, HAHN, HARKINS, HELM, HENNESSEY,
HERSHEY, HICKERNELL, HILL-EVANS, HOHENSTEIN, HOWARD, JAMES,
JONES, KAUFFMAN, M. K. KELLER, KIM, KINSEY, KLUNK, KORTZ,
KOSIEROWSKI, KULIK, LAWRENCE, LONGIETTI, MACKENZIE, MATZIE,
McCLINTON, McNEILL, MEHAFFIE, MILLARD, B. MILLER, MIZGORSKI,
MOUL, MURT, NEILSON, O'NEAL, OBERLANDER, OWLETT, PASHINSKI,
PICKETT, POLINCHOCK, PYLE, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, ROTHMAN,
ROZZI, RYAN, SAYLOR, SCHEMEL, SCHLOSSBERG, SCHMITT,
SHUSTERMAN, SONNEY, STAATS, STEPHENS, THOMAS, TOEPEL, ULLMAN,
WENTLING, WHEELAND, ZIMMERMAN, DRISCOLL, O'MARA, BOROWICZ,
RAPP AND YOUNGBLOOD, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of September 2019 as "Childhood Cancer
Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Childhood cancers make up less than 1% of all
cancers diagnosed each year and childhood cancer rates have been
rising slightly for the past few decades; and
WHEREAS, Childhood cancer is the second leading cause of
death in children under 15 years of age, exceeded only by
accidents, and more than 1,100 children are expected to die from
cancer in 2019; and
WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that more than
11,000 children in the United States under 15 years of age will
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be diagnosed with cancer in 2019; and
WHEREAS, The potential years of life lost to childhood cancer
and the potential years of life saved by treatment exceed all
other cancers with the exception of breast cancer; and
WHEREAS, Most children cannot be treated at a local hospital,
and families must face the disruption of relocating to receive
treatment at a regional cancer center; and
WHEREAS, As a result of major treatment advances in recent
decades, more than 80% of children with cancer now survive five
years or more; and
WHEREAS, This is a huge increase since the mid-1970s, when
the five-year survival rate was approximately 58%; and
WHEREAS, Survival rates vary depending on the type of cancer
and other factors; and
WHEREAS, There is still significant progress that must be
made with regard to childhood cancer treatment because there are
many types of childhood cancer and some types with lower
survival rates are very difficult to treat; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is a leader in the fight against and
treatment of childhood cancer with six Children's Oncology Group
hospitals, including St. Christopher's Hospital for Children,
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Geisinger Medical Center,
Lehigh Valley Children's Hospital, Penn State Health Children's
Hospital and UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, Two of only twelve institutions in the Pediatric
Brain Tumor Consortium are in Pennsylvania, including Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh;
and
WHEREAS, Penn State Health Children's Hospital in Hershey is
one of only ten institutions nationwide in the Pediatric
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Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators' Consortium;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of September 2019 as "Childhood Cancer Awareness Month" in
Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage young
Pennsylvanians who are fighting cancer, honor young people who
have lost their lives to childhood cancer, express gratitude to
the doctors and nurses who provide special care to patients and
families affected by childhood cancer and encourage all
residents in this Commonwealth to join the fight against
childhood cancer.
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