PRINTER'S NO. 3633
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 531
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY McNEILL, PROBST, CONKLIN, HANBIDGE, DIAMOND,
GIRAL, DONAHUE, McANDREW, SCHLOSSBERG, HILL-EVANS, DELLOSO,
HOHENSTEIN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HADDOCK, SANCHEZ, GALLAGHER AND
CERRATO, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of September 2024 as "Prostate Cancer
2 Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, The prostate is a small gland found only in men and
4 located below the bladder; and
5 WHEREAS, In some cases, prostate cancer can make the prostate
6 enlarged; and
7 WHEREAS, Prostate Cancer Research, a nonprofit organization
8 under the National Cancer Research Institute, reports that the
9 risk of prostate cancer increases with age with most cases
10 diagnosed in men over 50 years of age; and
11 WHEREAS, According to the Prostate Conditions Education
12 Council, 1 in 8 American men will get prostate cancer and 1 in
13 41 men will die from prostate cancer; and
14 WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that more than
15 13,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2024
16 within this Commonwealth; and
17 WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,500
 1 Pennsylvanians will die of prostate cancer in 2024; and
2 WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
3 describes symptoms of prostate cancer that include difficulty
4 starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urine, trouble
5 emptying the bladder completely, pain or burning during
6 urination, blood in the urine and pain in the back, hips or
7 pelvis; and
8 WHEREAS, Prostate cancer can be dormant in a person's body
9 for up to 20 years without symptoms, increasing the chance that
10 a person may be sick without the person's knowledge; and
11 WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society recommends that men with
12 an average risk of prostate cancer start screening for prostate
13 cancer at 50 years of age; and
14 WHEREAS, For men at a high risk of developing prostate
15 cancer, including African Americans and men who have a first-
16 degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age,
17 screening should begin at 45 years of age; and
18 WHEREAS, For men at even greater risk, including those with
19 more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at
20 an early age, screening should begin at 40 years of age; and
21 WHEREAS, Men should consult with their physician about the
22 benefits of screening for prostate cancer; and
23 WHEREAS, There are two tests used by physicians to screen for
24 prostate cancer: a prostate-specific antigen test, which
25 measures the level of prostate-specific antigen in the blood,
26 and a digital rectal examination, which detects abnormalities of
27 the prostate; and
28 WHEREAS, If abnormalities are noted from either screening, a
29 biopsy may be recommended to assist in diagnosing potential
30 prostate cancer; and
20240HR0531PN3633 - 2 -
 1 WHEREAS, In the 118th Session of the United States Congress,
2 H.R. 1826 was introduced to provide prostate cancer screenings
3 and prevention by requiring group health plans and health
4 insurance policies to provide health insurance coverage of
5 preventive prostate cancer screenings, without cost-sharing, for
6 men with a personal or family history of prostate cancer; and
7 WHEREAS, If Congress were to pass H.R. 1826, men with
8 federally regulated and state-regulated health coverage could
9 receive this important and possibly lifesaving care; therefore
10 be it
11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
12 month of September 2024 as "Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" in
13 Pennsylvania; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the Congress
15 of the United States to support H.R. 1826.
20240HR0531PN3633 - 3 -