SR-176, As Adopted by Senate, September 11, 2014

            Senator Hildenbrand offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 176.

            A resolution to commemorate September 2014 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.

            Whereas, Each day, 46 school-age children will be diagnosed with cancer; and

            Whereas, One out of five children diagnosed with cancer will not survive the disease; and

           Whereas, The types of cancers that affect children are most often very different from those that affect adults; and

            Whereas, Childhood cancer spares no socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, or geographic class; and

            Whereas, In the United States, pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under 15 years of age; and

            Whereas, The causes of most pediatric cancers remain largely unknown and are not strongly linked to lifestyle, unlike most adult cancers; and

            Whereas, Two-thirds of childhood cancer patients will develop long-lasting chronic conditions as a result of treatment that prevent them from fully participating in school, social activities, and work; and

            Whereas, Childhood cancer rates have been rising for the past few decades, and in the past 20 years, the incidence of invasive pediatric cancers is up to 29 percent; and

            Whereas, Cancer kills more children than AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and muscular dystrophy combined; and

            Whereas, In the last 25 years, only two drugs have been specifically developed for children’s cancer, and in 20 years, the Federal Drug Administration has approved only one drug for any childhood cancer; and

            Whereas, Less than 5 percent of the federal government’s total funding for cancer research is dedicated to childhood cancers, and only about 3 percent of funds raised for the National Cancer Institute go directly to pediatric cancer research; and

            Whereas, Despite the facts, childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded. Since 2003, the funding for pediatric cancer research has decreased steadily; and

            Whereas, Although there have been major advances in treatment, it is still critically important to conduct research and increase awareness regarding pediatric cancer; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate, That the members of this legislative body recognize September 2014 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the state of Michigan. We encourage all citizens to help raise awareness of pediatric cancer and its victims.