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[Page S2975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 617--DESIGNATING JULY 22, 2020, AS ``GLIOBLASTOMA
AWARENESS DAY''
Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Mr. Markey, Ms. McSally, Ms. Sinema, and Ms.
Warren) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 617
Whereas more than 13,000 new cases of glioblastoma will be
diagnosed in the United States in 2020;
Whereas glioblastoma is--
(1) the most common malignant (cancerous) brain tumor,
accounting for 48 percent of all primary malignant brain
tumors; and
(2) the most aggressive, complex, difficult to treat, and
deadly type of brain tumor;
Whereas it is estimated that more than 10,000 individuals
in the United States will succumb to glioblastoma every year;
Whereas the 5-year survival rate for glioblastoma patients
is only 6.8 percent, and the average length of survival for
glioblastoma patients is estimated to be only 12 to 18
months;
Whereas glioblastoma is described as a disease that affects
the ``essence of self'', as the treatment and removal of
glioblastoma presents significant challenges due to the
uniquely complex and fragile nature of the brain, the primary
organ in the human body that controls not only cognitive
ability, but also the actions of every organ and limb;
Whereas, relative to other types of cancers, brain cancer
has--
(1) the highest per-patient initial cost of care, with an
annualized mean net cost of care approaching $150,000; and
(2) the highest annualized mean net costs for last-year-of-
life care, with a cost of between $135,000 and $210,000 per
patient, depending on the age and gender of a patient;
Whereas, although research advances may fuel the
development of new treatments for glioblastoma, challenging
obstacles to accelerating progress toward new treatments for
glioblastoma remain, and there are no screening or early
detection methods;
Whereas, although glioblastoma was first described in
medical and scientific literature in the 1920s, and despite
its devastating prognosis, only 4 drugs and 1 medical device
have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to
treat glioblastoma since the 1920s, and the mortality rates
associated with glioblastoma have changed little during the
past 30 years; and
Whereas there is a need for greater public awareness of
glioblastoma, including awareness of both--
(1) the urgent unmet medical needs of glioblastoma
patients; and
(2) the opportunities for research and treatment advances
for glioblastoma: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates July 22, 2020, as ``Glioblastoma Awareness
Day'';
(2) encourages increased public awareness of glioblastoma;
(3) honors the individuals who have lost their lives to
glioblastoma, a devastating disease, or are currently living
with it;
(4) supports efforts to develop better treatments for
glioblastoma that will improve the long-term prognosis of
individuals diagnosed with glioblastoma;
(5) expresses its support for the individuals who are
battling brain tumors, as well as the families, friends, and
caregivers of those individuals; and
(6) urges a collaborative approach to brain tumor research,
which is a promising means of advancing the understanding and
treatment of glioblastoma.
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