Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 61
CHAPTER 176
Relative to public health.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
September 13, 2022.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 61, Dahle.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
This measure would proclaim the month of September 2022 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men aside from skin cancer. It is estimated that one in eight men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates there will be approximately 268,490 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2022, resulting in an estimated 34,500 deaths; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated 26,890 men in California will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and it is estimated that 4,130 men in California will die from this disease; and
WHEREAS, Non-Hispanic Black men have the highest prostate cancer incidence rates in the world, and their prostate cancer mortality rate in the United States is more than twice that of any other ethnic group; and
WHEREAS, Risk factors for prostate cancer include increasing age, African ancestry, a family history of the disease, and certain inherited genetic conditions; and
WHEREAS, Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing the disease; and
WHEREAS, Advanced prostate cancer commonly spreads to the bones, which can cause pain in the hips, spine, ribs, or other areas in the body; and
WHEREAS, The prostate cancer death rate has been declining since the mid-1990s due to earlier detection through PSA testing and advances in treatment; and
WHEREAS, The five-year survival rate approaches 100 percent when prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated early, but drops to 31 percent when it spreads to other parts of the body; and
WHEREAS, Treatment options for prostate cancer vary depending on age, the stage and grade of cancer, and other existing medical conditions; and
WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society recommends that men should have a conversation with their health care provider and should have an opportunity to make an informed decision about whether to be tested for prostate cancer based on personal values and preferences; and
WHEREAS, For men who desire screening, prostate-specific antigen testing may begin at 55 years of age for average-risk men, and for men at higher than average risk, including Black men, men with a family history, men with a genetic predisposition, and veterans, testing should begin at 40 years of age; and
WHEREAS, The cost of screening for early detection is a barrier that stifles detecting prostate cancer; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month of September 2022 to be Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in California; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature urges all levels of government to provide an educational campaign to increase awareness about the importance for men to make an informed decision with their health care provider about early detection and testing for prostate cancer; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature joins communities across our nation to increase awareness about the importance of removing barriers to increase early detection and testing for prostate cancer so men can have the opportunity to make informed decisions with their health care provider about early treatment options; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.