00HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 29                                                                                         
01 Supporting an increase in federal funding for prostate cancer research.                                                 
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                              
03  WHEREAS, except for skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most common form of                                         
04 cancer in men; and                                                                                                      
05  WHEREAS one out of every five American men will develop prostate cancer; and                                         
06  WHEREAS the American Cancer Society estimates that, in 1997 in the United States,                                    
07 approximately 334,500 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and that approximately                             
08 41,800 prostate cancer related deaths will occur; and                                                                   
09  WHEREAS, with an estimated 9,000,000 men currently afflicted, the prevalence of                                      
10 prostate cancer makes it epidemic in the United States; and                                                             
11  WHEREAS African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence                                         
12 of prostate cancer of any population in the world; and                                                                  
13  WHEREAS there is a need for equal access to recognized forms of prostate cancer                                      
14 treatment; and                                                                                                          

01  WHEREAS the number of prostate cancer cases diagnosed has increased significantly                                    
02 over the past 35 years, partly as a result of the widespread use of improved screening                                  
03 techniques, including screening for the prostate cancer antigen; and                                                    
04  WHEREAS superior diagnostic and prognostic techniques are needed; and                                                
05  WHEREAS the American Cancer Society is a founding member of the National                                             
06 Prostate Cancer Coalition, a network of prostate cancer patients, advocates, and supporting                             
07 organizations, which is gathering l,000,000 signatures to present to President Bill Clinton on                          
08 Father's Day, June 15, 1997;                                                                                            
09  BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature joins the National Prostate                                         
10 Cancer Coalition and other organizations and individuals in supporting increased federal                                
11 funding for prostate cancer research; and be it                                                                         
12  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests                                             
13 President Bill Clinton to support increased funding for prostate cancer research.                                       
14  COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the                              
15 United States; the Honorable Al Gore, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and President                            
16 of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the U.S. House of                                           
17 Representatives; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S.                               
18 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska                                       
19 delegation in Congress.