HR 9137

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution recognizing March 2006 as "Colon Cancer
3	Awareness Month" in Florida.
4
5	WHEREAS, colon cancer, one of the most prevalent but most
6	preventable of cancers, is the second most common cause of
7	cancer death among adult men and women in Florida, and
8	WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society estimates that during
9	the year 2006, 9,970 new cases of colon cancer will be diagnosed
10	among Floridians and, that during this same time period,
11	approximately 3,700 will die of the disease, and
12	WHEREAS, it is possible to have colon cancer without having
13	any symptoms of the disease, and
14	WHEREAS, it is possible for Floridians to significantly
15	lower the number of incidents of colon cancer and deaths from
16	this disease by adhering to the American Cancer Society colon
17	cancer screening guidelines, which include regular testing
18	beginning at the age of 50, and
19	WHEREAS, although the risk for colon cancer is highest
20	among older adults, with more than 90 percent of all such
21	cancers being diagnosed in adults 50 years of age or older,
22	approximately 44 percent of Floridians in this age group report
23	never having undergone a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy, two of
24	the screening techniques recommended by the American Cancer
25	Society, and
26	WHEREAS, regular screenings may lower death rates by
27	detecting the disease at its earliest and most treatable stages
28	and may prevent the development of some cancers through the
29	detection and subsequent removal of polyps, NOW, THEREFORE,
30
31	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
32	Florida:
33
34	That the House of Representatives recognizes the month of
35	March 2006 as "Colon Cancer Awareness Month" in Florida and
36	urges all men and women to avail themselves of a better
37	understanding of the risks associated with colon cancer, to take
38	preventive steps to minimize those risks, and to undergo early
39	detection procedures as recommended by the American Cancer
40	Society colon cancer screening guidelines.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.