Florida Senate - 2019 (NP) SR 1810 By Senator Berman 31-02589A-19 20191810__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing March 2019 as “Colorectal 3 Cancer Awareness Month” in Florida. 4 5 WHEREAS, colorectal cancer is currently the second leading 6 cause of cancer death in the United States among both men and 7 women, and 8 WHEREAS, in 2018, approximately 140,250 people in the 9 United States were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and 10 approximately 50,630 people died from the disease, and 11 WHEREAS, the average risk of developing colorectal cancer 12 in one’s lifetime is 5 percent, and this risk may increase 13 depending on age, family history, or ethnicity, and 14 WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 15 Prevention’s 2013 incidence report, Floridians were affected by 16 colorectal cancer at a rate of 35.8 per 100,000, and the death 17 rate was 13.4 per 100,000, and 18 WHEREAS, with early detection, the 5-year survival rate for 19 colorectal cancer is approximately 90 percent, but, even with 20 regular screenings, only four out of ten cases are detected 21 sufficiently early, and such factors as lack of awareness and 22 inability to afford proper screenings often prevent detection, 23 and 24 WHEREAS, if colorectal cancer is discovered in later stages 25 after it has begun to spread to other organs, the survival rate 26 is a mere 10 percent, but this survival figure could increase if 27 adults older than 50 years of age are regularly screened to 28 discover the cancer in its earlier stages, and 29 WHEREAS, increasing awareness of and education concerning 30 colorectal cancer leads to significant progress in both 31 preventing and overcoming the disease, as the majority of cases 32 have proven to be both treatable and survivable, NOW, THEREFORE, 33 34 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 35 36 That March 2019 is recognized as “Colorectal Cancer 37 Awareness Month” in Florida.