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Senate Resolution

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A resolution recognizing the week of April 13-19, 2008, as

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"Minority Cancer Awareness Week" in the State of Florida.

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     WHEREAS, there has been recent progress in the fight against

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cancer, yet many Floridians still suffer unequal rates of cancer

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incidence and mortality, and medically underserved populations

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have inadequate access to quality cancer prevention, screening,

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treatment, and rehabilitation services, and

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     WHEREAS, certain populations of Floridians, such as African

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Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and the medically uninsured,

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experience higher rates of cancer incidence and death, and

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     WHEREAS, even when poverty levels are accounted for, African

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Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific

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Islanders have lower 5-year-cancer-survival rates than whites who

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are not of Hispanic descent, and

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     WHEREAS, among all racial and ethnic groups, African

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Americans experience the highest death rate from all cancers and

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the highest death rate from lung, colorectal, prostate, and

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cervical cancers, and

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     WHEREAS, Hispanics and Latinos are the fastest-growing

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segment of the nation's population, and Hispanics are now the

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largest minority population in Florida, and

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     WHEREAS, almost 35 percent of the Hispanic and Latino

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population have no health care coverage and almost 31 percent

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have no access to regular medical care, making Hispanics and

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Latinos the most medically underserved population among all

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racial and ethnic groups, and

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     WHEREAS, approximately 2.8 million or 19.2 percent of adult

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Floridians have no health insurance coverage and frequently lack

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access to quality health care, including potentially lifesaving

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services to screen for, detect, and treat cancer, and

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     WHEREAS, minority cancer awareness initiatives, such as

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those promoted by the American Cancer Society and Florida's

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recognition of the nationally observed Minority Cancer Awareness

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Week, will encourage efforts to reduce ethnic, racial, and

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socioeconomic cancer disparities, NOW, THEREFORE,

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Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

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     That the Florida Senate recognizes April 13-19, 2008, as

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"Minority Cancer Awareness Week" in the State of Florida, and

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urges all Floridians to work with cancer-education providers,

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such as the American Cancer Society, to increase awareness of the

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disparities that minority populations face in the fight against

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cancer.