Designating May 2024 as "National Brain Tumor Awareness Month".

senate

Introduced on June 4, 2024 by Steve Daines

Cosponsors

Legislation Details

  • Designates May 2024 as “National Brain Tumor Awareness Month.”
  • Highlights that over 90,000 individuals in the US are estimated to be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor in 2024, with more than 1,000,000 individuals living with a brain tumor in the US.
  • Notes brain tumors as the leading cause of cancer death in children under 14 and teens under 19, and the second-leading cause of cancer death in young adults between 15 and 39.
  • States the average 5-year survival rate for primary malignant brain tumor diagnosis in the US is only 35.7 percent.
  • Estimates that 18,870 individuals in the US will die from a malignant brain tumor in 2024.
  • Acknowledges that brain tumors can be malignant or benign but are life-threatening in either case.
  • Mentions the complexity of treating brain tumors due to the existence of over 100 types and the brain’s unique and fragile nature.
  • Emphasizes that brain tumors affect the organ controlling cognitive ability and all other organs and limbs, affecting the whole individual.
  • Supports brain tumor research by private, nonprofit foundations and Federal medical research institutions, highlighting the importance of basic research for new treatments.
  • Points out the limited strategies for screening or early detection of brain tumors and the few treatments approved since the 1980s, none of which extend survival by more than 2 years on average or are considered curative.
  • Notes little change in brain tumor mortality rates over the 30 years preceding the resolution.
  • Calls for greater public awareness of brain tumors, including research difficulties and opportunities for advances in research and treatment.
  • Encourages increased public awareness to honor those who have lost their lives or currently live with a brain tumor.
  • Supports efforts to develop better treatments to improve quality of life and prognosis for those diagnosed with brain tumors.
  • Expresses support for individuals battling brain tumors and their families, friends, and caregivers.
  • Urges a collaborative approach to brain tumor research as a means of advancing understanding and treatment.

Last updated 8/7/2024