Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal cancer on the Black community.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 239 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 239

Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal 
                     cancer on the Black community.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 21, 2025

 Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Cohen, 
Mrs. Hayes, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Clarke of 
  New York, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, and Mr. Meeks) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal 
                     cancer on the Black community.

Whereas colorectal cancer, or CRC, is the third-most common cancer in the United 
        States for men and women combined, and the second-leading cause of 
        cancer death;
Whereas this disease takes the lives of more than 50,000 people each year;
Whereas the rate of CRC is 20 percent higher among Black men and is 14 percent 
        higher among Black women than compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas the rate of CRC death is 40 percent higher among Black men and is 25 
        percent higher among Black women than compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas CRC is the third-leading cause of cancer death in both Black men and 
        women in the United States;
Whereas Black Americans have the lowest 5-year survival rate for CRC of any 
        racial group in the United States;
Whereas deaths from colorectal cancer among people younger than 55 have 
        increased 1.9 percent per year from 2011 to 2019;
Whereas the tragic death of 43-year-old actor Chadwick Boseman from colorectal 
        cancer has catalyzed more conversation about CRC's impact on the Black 
        community;
Whereas, by 2030, it is expected that CRC will be the leading cause of death 
        among people ages 20 to 49;
Whereas it is estimated that 19 percent of racial disparity in CRC death rates 
        between White and Black Americans is due to lower screening rates alone; 
        and
Whereas CRC has a 90-percent survival rate when caught at the earliest stage and 
        there are many screening methods available: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the deadly impact colorectal cancer has to 
        the American people;
            (2) acknowledges the racial disparity that the Black 
        community faces when dealing with colorectal cancer;
            (3) encourages the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention to continue and expand their work to identify those 
        factors that result in the colorectal racial screening 
        disparity and develop effective strategies to reduce and 
        ultimately eliminate racial disparities in colorectal 
        screening;
            (4) encourages everyone get colorectal cancer screening 
        when recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task 
        Force;
            (5) encourages the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention to conduct research to determine any environmental 
        factors, and the National Institutes of Health to conduct 
        research into any physiological factors that cause an elevated 
        risk for colorectal cancer in young adults; and
            (6) urges State health plans to quickly adopt new measures 
        to cover colorectal screenings for individuals at a lower age, 
        with special consideration for the Black community and all 
        those at higher risk for colorectal cancer.
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