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 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 195
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
 1-4     join citizens across the country in recognizing April 30 through
 1-5     May 6, 2001, as Brain Tumor Awareness Week; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Each year, over 100,000 people in the United States
 1-7     and 10,000 people in Canada are diagnosed with a primary or
 1-8     metastatic brain tumor; brain tumors are the second leading cause
 1-9     of cancer deaths for children under age 20 and the third leading
1-10     cause of cancer deaths in young adults age 20-39; and
1-11           WHEREAS, Located at the control center for thought, emotion,
1-12     and movement, a brain tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue in which
1-13     cells multiply uncontrollably; the tumor affects an individual's
1-14     physical and cognitive abilities and can be life-changing and
1-15     devastating for the patients and their families; and
1-16           WHEREAS, There are over 100 different types of brain tumors,
1-17     making treatment very complicated, and the incidence of brain
1-18     tumors is increasing, especially among the elderly; and
1-19           WHEREAS, A primary brain tumor originates in the brain,
1-20     whereas metastatic brain tumors are malignant tumors that are
1-21     formed from cancer cells that travel to the brain from another
 2-1     part of the body; there are no cures for most malignant brain
 2-2     tumors, but treatments such as surgery, radiation, and
 2-3     chemotherapy may cause remission; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, Symptoms associated with brain tumors include
 2-5     headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, imbalance, visual
 2-6     disturbance, hearing loss, speech difficulty, and loss of
 2-7     coordination; a neurological examination is a crucial first step
 2-8     in diagnosing a brain tumor, and early detection is critical; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, In order to improve the outlook for adults and
2-10     children with brain tumors, it will be necessary to expand the
2-11     research into the causes of these tumors and to discover better
2-12     treatments for them; and
2-13           WHEREAS, Several new approaches to the treatment of brain
2-14     tumors target the biological processes that cause a normal cell
2-15     to multiply abnormally, and clinical research is being conducted
2-16     on a wide range of promising therapies, including angiogenesis
2-17     inhibitors, differentiating agents, gene therapy, immunotherapy,
2-18     and invasion inhibitors; and
2-19           WHEREAS, Brain Tumor Awareness Week is an opportunity to
2-20     heighten awareness of this devastating type of cancer and to gain
2-21     public support for organizations that are currently involved in
2-22     brain tumor research and treatment; now, therefore, be it
2-23           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 3-1     77th Legislature, hereby commend all who are participating in
 3-2     Brain Tumor Awareness Week and encourage all Texans to recognize
 3-3     April 30 through May 6 as Brain Tumor Awareness Week; and, be it
 3-4     further
 3-5           RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be prepared as an
 3-6     expression of support for Brain Tumor Awareness Week from the
 3-7     Texas Senate.
 3-8                                                            Van de Putte
 3-9                                  ______________________________________
3-10                                          President of the Senate
3-11                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-12                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-13                                  on February 6, 2001.
3-14                                  ______________________________________
3-15                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-16                                  ______________________________________
3-17                                           Member, Texas Senate