HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.189
Reps. Morse, Weiss, Tyrone Carter, Rheingans, Haadsma, Brabec,
Rogers, Neeley, Breen, Byrnes, Dievendorf, Fitzgerald, Glanville,
Hill, Hope, Morgan, Paiz, Schuette, Wilson, Witwer and Young offered
the following resolution:
1 A resolution to declare February 2024 as Cholangiocarcinoma
2 Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.
3 Whereas, Cholangiocarcinoma starts in the bile duct, a thin
4 tube, about 4 to 5 inches long, that reaches from the liver to the
5 small intestine. The major function of the bile duct is to move a
6 fluid called bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small
7 intestine, where it helps digest the fats in food; and
8 Whereas, There are three types of cholangiocarcinoma:
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1 intrahepatic, extrahepatic, and perihilar. The mortality rate of
2 this disease has increased dramatically in the last decade; and
3 Whereas, An estimated 10,000 people in the United States
4 develop cholangiocarcinoma each year and almost two out of three
5 people with cholangiocarcinoma are sixty-five or older when it is
6 found: and
7 Whereas, The chances of survival for patients with bile duct
8 cancer depends to a large extent on its location and how advanced
9 it is when it is found; and
10 Whereas, Patients are typically diagnosed at a late stage due
11 to no validated early method of detection. Symptoms of jaundice,
12 abdominal pain, itchy skin, and weight loss are symptoms that do
13 not usually present till advanced disease progression; and
14 Whereas, Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare cancer. Of the top eight
15 deadliest cancers, seven are rare. Rare cancers have a 5-year
16 survival rate under fifty percent with the cholangiocarcinoma 5-
17 year survival rate being approximately twenty percent; and
18 Whereas, There is currently no cure for
19 cholangiocarcinoma/bile duct cancer; and
20 Whereas, Founded in 2006, in Salt Lake City, Utah, by a family
21 who lost a loved one to cholangiocarcinoma, the Cholangiocarcinoma
22 Foundation has grown to become the leading global resource in
23 research, education, and public awareness; and
24 Whereas, Foundations, research and teaching hospitals, rare
25 cancer advocacy groups, and patient advocacy groups from around the
26 globe have joined forces to recognize February as
27 Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month; and
28 Whereas, Increased cholangiocarcinoma advocacy, awareness,
29 research, and education will bring improved outcomes for patients
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1 in earlier detection and treatment and potential curative methods;
2 Whereas, The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has approved new
3 treatments creating a new standard of care for cholangiocarcinoma
4 patients with the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy;
5 and
6 Whereas, This body encourages all citizens to educate
7 themselves about the disease by visiting cholangiocarcinoma.org and
8 signing a pledge to help raise awareness in support of
9 Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month, and encourages the state of
10 Michigan to remain committed to the continued support of research
11 for treatment and a cure of cholangiocarcinoma, now, therefore, be
12 it
13 Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of
14 this legislative body declare February 2024 as Cholangiocarcinoma
15 Awareness Month in the state of Michigan. We recognize all patients
16 and caregivers impacted by the rare, lethal cancer.