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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, and this annual observance serves to raise |
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awareness of the issue of cancer inequality and the lifesaving |
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power of prevention and early detection; and |
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WHEREAS, Some minority groups in the United States face |
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disproportionately high incidence and death rates from cancer, and |
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these disparities are believed to be rooted in socioeconomic |
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factors, including higher levels of poverty; because poverty |
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coincides with reduced access to health insurance, members of |
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minority groups may delay in seeking diagnosis and treatment for |
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health problems, resulting in cancer being detected at more |
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advanced stages with a far less optimistic prognosis; and |
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WHEREAS, Although considerable progress has been made in the |
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development of cancer treatment, detection, and prevention |
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methods, more remains to be done to ensure that minority |
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populations are equally served by these advances; strategies for |
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closing the gap in cancer health outcomes include increasing access |
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to care, providing greater support to patients in navigating the |
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complexities of the health care system, recruiting more diverse |
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participants in clinical trials, and devising community-level |
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interventions that target the specific needs of minority |
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populations; and |
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WHEREAS, Many of the prominent medical institutions and |
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organizations in Texas have stepped forward to apply their |
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expertise and resources to the issue of cancer disparity; the |
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programs, studies, and innovative treatment methods pioneered by |
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these groups are expected to yield important gains in the years |
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ahead; and |
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WHEREAS, Education and awareness remain crucial tools in |
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addressing cancer inequality, and Minority Cancer Awareness Month |
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is helping to focus attention on the goal of ensuring early |
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detection and treatment for all Texans; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 2019 as Minority Cancer |
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Awareness Month and encourage the public to learn more about this |
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vital topic. |