Reps. Slavens, Barnett, Bauer, Brown, Darany, Knollenberg, Lindberg, Liss, MacMaster, Wayne Schmidt, Segal, Talabi and Tyler offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 335.

            A resolution to declare November 2012 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, In 2012, an estimated 43,920 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States and 37,390 will die from the disease; 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, Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate for all cancers. Seventy-four percent of patients die within the first year of diagnosis and 94% die within five years; and

Whereas, Risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include family history, age, chronic or hereditary pancreatitis, smoking, obesity and diabetes; and

Whereas, The average life expectancy for someone diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is just five to seven months; and

Whereas, When symptoms of pancreatic cancer present themselves, it is usually too late for an optimistic prognosis; and

Whereas, Of all the racial/ethnic groups in the United States, African Americans have the highest incidence rate of pancreatic cancer. These cases were between 34 percent and 70 percent higher than those of other groups in Michigan in 2012; 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 federal government invests significantly less money in pancreatic cancer research than it does in any of the other leading cancer killers. Pancreatic cancer research constitutes only approximately 2 percent of the National Cancer Institute’s federal research funding, a figure far too low given the severity of the disease, its mortality rate, and how little is known about how to arrest it; and

Whereas, The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the first and only national patient advocacy organization that serves the pancreatic cancer community in Michigan and nationwide by focusing its efforts on public policy, research funding, patient services, and public awareness and education related to developing effective treatments and a cure for pancreatic cancer; and

Whereas, The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its affiliates in Michigan support those patients currently battling pancreatic cancer, as well as to those who have lost their lives to the disease, and are committed to nothing less than a cure; and

Whereas, The good health and well-being of the residents of Michigan are enhanced as a direct result of increased awareness about pancreatic cancer and research into early detection, causes, and effective treatments; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare November 2012 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.