118th CONGRESS 2d Session |
Designating July 17, 2024, as “Glioblastoma Awareness Day”.
June 13, 2024
Mr. Graham (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Markey, Ms. Warren, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Barrasso) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
Designating July 17, 2024, as “Glioblastoma Awareness Day”.
Whereas approximately 14,490 new cases of glioblastoma were diagnosed in the United States in 2023;
(1) the most common malignant (cancerous) brain tumor, accounting for approximately 1⁄2 of all primary malignant brain tumors; and
(2) the most aggressive, complex, difficult to treat, and deadly type of brain tumor;
Whereas it is estimated that more than 10,000 individuals in the United States will succumb to glioblastoma each year;
Whereas the 5-year survival rate for glioblastoma patients is only 6.9 percent, and the median length of survival for glioblastoma patients is only 8 months;
Whereas glioblastoma is described as a disease that affects the “essence of self”, as the treatment and removal of glioblastoma presents significant challenges due to the uniquely complex and fragile nature of the brain, the primary organ in the human body that controls not only cognitive ability, but also the actions of every organ and limb;
Whereas patients and caregivers play a critical role in furthering research for glioblastoma;
Whereas, relative to the patients of other types of cancers, brain cancer patients pay the second highest out-of-pocket costs for medical services in both the initial and end-of-life phases of care;
Whereas, although research advances may fuel the development of new treatments for glioblastoma, challenging obstacles to accelerating progress toward new treatments for glioblastoma remain, and there are no screening or early detection methods;
Whereas, in 2021, the World Health Organization reclassified brain tumors and made significant changes to the molecular characteristics of a glioblastoma diagnosis, necessitating critical biomarker testing for patients suspected of having glioblastoma;
Whereas, although glioblastoma was first described in medical and scientific literature in the 1920s, and despite its devastating prognosis, only 5 drugs and 1 medical device have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to specifically treat glioblastoma since the 1920s, and the mortality rates associated with glioblastoma have changed little during the past 30 years;
Whereas, since the first Glioblastoma Awareness Day, the National Cancer Institute established the Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network in 2020, a network of multi-institutional teams that enhance and support the discovery and development of glioblastoma therapies by driving therapeutic agents through pre-clinical studies and early-phase clinical trials, which are necessary to rapidly evaluate potential treatments to advance toward cures and improved quality of life; and
Whereas there is a need for greater public awareness of glioblastoma, including awareness of both—
(1) the urgent unmet medical needs of glioblastoma patients; and
(2) the opportunities for research of, and treatment advances for, glioblastoma: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
(1) designates July 17, 2024, as “Glioblastoma Awareness Day”;
(2) encourages increased public awareness of glioblastoma;
(3) honors the individuals who have died from the devastating disease of glioblastoma or are currently living with the disease;
(4) supports efforts to develop better treatments for glioblastoma that will improve the long-term prognosis for, and the quality of life of, individuals diagnosed with the disease;
(5) recognizes the importance of molecular biomarker testing to the diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma;
(6) expresses support for the individuals who are battling brain tumors, as well as the families, friends, and caregivers of those individuals;
(7) urges a collaborative approach to brain tumor research among governmental, private, and nonprofit organizations, which is a promising means of advancing the understanding and treatment of glioblastoma; and
(8) encourages continued investments in glioblastoma research and treatments, including through the Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network and other existing brain tumor research resources.