Introduced By: Senators Celona, Graziano, McCaffrey, Sosnowski and Izzo
Date Introduced : April 2, 1998
WHEREAS, Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men; and
WHEREAS, According to data supplied by the American Cancer Society, there were an estimated 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer nationally in 1994, and there were an estimated 38,000 deaths from prostate cancer in 1994; and
WHEREAS, Nationally, the number of deaths from prostate cancer has more than doubled over a 30-year period, from 14,452 in 1960 to 32,378 in 1990; and the prostate cancer death rate per 100,000 population rose by 23% over a comparable period; and
WHEREAS, Improvements in cancer screening and early diagnosis have contributed heavily to the increase in the number of prostate cancer cases that are diagnosed; and the five-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer patients whose tumors are discovered while still localized in 92%; and
WHEREAS, The importance of early detection in the survival of prostate cancer patients highlights the need for widespread awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease and reinforces the rationale for increased efforts to educate the public about prostate cancer; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby proclaims April as "Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" in Rhode Island.
