Senate Approves Resolution on Lung Cancer

On May 2, the Senate approved a resolution (S. Res. 408), by unanimous consent, expressing the sense of the Senate that the president should declare lung cancer a public health priority and should implement a comprehensive interagency program that will reduce lung cancer mortality by at least 50 percent by 2015.

Sponsored by Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, accounting for 28 percent of all cancer deaths;
• Lung cancer kills more people annually than breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, melanoma, and kidney cancer combined;
• Since the National Cancer Act of 1971 (P.L. 92-218) coordinated and comprehensive research has elevated the 5-year survival rates for breast cancer to 87 percent, for prostate cancer to 99 percent, and colon cancer to 64 percent;
• The survival rate for lung cancer is still only 15 percent and a similar coordinated and comprehensive research effort is still required to achieve increases in lung cancer survivability rates;
• 60 percent of lung cancer is now diagnosed in nonsmokers and former smokers;
• 2/3 of nonsmokers diagnosed with lung cancer are women; and
• Certain minority populations, such as black males, have disproportionately high rates of lung cancer incidence and mortality, notwithstanding their lower smoking rate.The resolution calls on the secretary of health and human services to increase funding for lung cancer research, including research on disparities in lung cancer incidence and morality rates, and coordinated and comprehensive programs to accomplish the mission of reducing lung cancer mortality by 50 percent in 2015.