SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2011 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 512
Designating November, in 2011 and in each succeeding year, as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in Virginia.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 21, 2011
Agreed to by the Senate, February 22, 2011

 

WHEREAS, the good health and well-being of the residents of the Commonwealth are enhanced as a direct result of increased awareness about pancreatic cancer and research into early detection, causes, and effective treatments; and

WHEREAS, in 2010 an estimated 42,000 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States and an estimated 36,800 died from the disease, including approximately 930 in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States; and

WHEREAS, symptoms of pancreatic cancer can include pain, weight loss, jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, and diabetes; and

WHEREAS, when symptoms of pancreatic cancer present themselves, it is usually too late for an optimistic prognosis, and 75 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first year of their diagnosis while 94 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first five years; and

WHEREAS, incidence of pancreatic cancer is approximately 50 percent higher in African Americans than in other ethnic groups; and

WHEREAS, there is no cure for pancreatic cancer and there have been no significant improvements in survival rates in the last 40 years; and

WHEREAS, the number of new pancreatic cancer cases is expected to increase by 55 percent between 2010 and 2030; and

WHEREAS, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its affiliates in the Commonwealth support those patients currently battling cancer, as well as the families of those who have lost their lives to the disease and are committed to nothing less than a cure; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate November, in 2011 and in each succeeding year, as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the General Assembly encourage all Virginians to increase their awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer and join with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its affiliates in the Commonwealth to support those patients battling the disease as well as programs of research and education; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this month on the General Assembly’s website.