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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature designated April as Minority |
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Cancer Awareness Month in a 2011 bill authored by Representative |
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Ruth Jones McClendon, herself a cancer survivor, and this annual |
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observance serves to raise awareness of the issue of cancer |
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inequality and the lifesaving power of prevention and early |
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detection; and |
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WHEREAS, Some minority groups face disproportionately high |
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incidence and death rates from cancer, and these disparities are |
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believed to be rooted in socioeconomic factors, including higher |
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levels of poverty; because poverty coincides with reduced access to |
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health insurance, members of minority groups may delay in seeking |
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diagnosis and treatment for health problems, resulting in cancer |
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being detected at more advanced stages with a far less optimistic |
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prognosis; and |
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WHEREAS, The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of |
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Texas prioritizes funding of cancer prevention and early detection |
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programs for underserved populations, with grantees providing over |
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3.3 million services to Texans across the state; and |
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WHEREAS, Further support comes from the UT Southwestern |
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Moncrief Cancer Institute, which operates the first-of-its-kind |
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Mobile Cancer Survivor Clinic; funded in part by a grant from CPRIT |
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and in part through the Texas Medicaid 1115 Waiver Program, the |
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mobile clinic enables the delivery of vital health services, |
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including colon and breast cancer screenings, financial and genetic |
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counseling, and nutritional planning, to areas where many cancer |
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survivors may not have convenient access to care; and |
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WHEREAS, The "80% by 2018" program is a special initiative |
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led by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable in which more than |
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1,000 organizations have committed to the goal of substantially |
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reducing colorectal cancer as a major public health problem for |
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those 50 years of age and older; as a result of their involvement, |
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the effort is expected to prevent more than 200,000 colorectal |
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cancer deaths by the year 2030; and |
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WHEREAS, Thanks to initiatives such as these, there is more |
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hope than ever before of increasing cancer survival rates among |
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minorities, and Minority Cancer Awareness Month provides a fitting |
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opportunity to commend these efforts and to acknowledge the vital |
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work that remains to be done; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 2017 as Minority Cancer |
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Awareness Month and encourage all Texans to learn more about |
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preventative measures and to seek medical attention at the first |
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warning signs of cancer. |