04/04/2011 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

            HCR  1-PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:35:35 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS  announced the first  order of business would  be HCR
, a  resolution proclaiming November  2011 as  Pancreatic Cancer                                                               
Awareness Month. [CSHCR 1(HSS)am was before the committee.]                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
DAVID BREMER,  staff to  Representative Pete  Petersen, presented                                                               
HCR 1 on behalf of the  sponsor. He said pancreatic cancer is the                                                               
fourth leading cause of cancer  death in the US. Three-fourths of                                                               
pancreatic  cancer patients  die  within one  year of  diagnosis;                                                               
this is  because there is  no effective screening test  for early                                                               
detection and  diagnosis. The Alaska  Bureau of  Vital Statistics                                                               
reported 158  Alaskan deaths from pancreatic  cancer during 2006-                                                               
2008. Increasing  awareness will  lead to expanded  research into                                                               
locating  the disease's  causes, enhancing  early detection,  and                                                               
developing effective treatments. Raised  awareness will also lead                                                               
to  more knowledge  about pancreatic  cancer  among Alaskans  and                                                               
directly enhance  the good health  and well-being of  our state's                                                               
residents.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PETE  PETERSEN, sponsor  of  HCR  1, thanked  the                                                               
committee for hearing  the resolution. He said  it is unfortunate                                                               
that  some  forms of  cancer  are  more well-known  than  others.                                                               
Pancreatic cancer  is one of  the most  deadly forms but  is less                                                               
known.  The  resolution  proclaims November  2011  as  Pancreatic                                                               
Cancer Awareness Month. Representative  Thompson is co-sponsor of                                                               
this resolution.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR EGAN asked if there is any screening test.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. BREMER  responded early detection is  difficult because there                                                               
are no early signs.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:41:30 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR EGAN  moved to  report CSHCR  1(HSS) from  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no objection, it was so ordered.