S. C. R. No. 33 As Introduced

As Introduced

129th General Assembly

Regular Session

2011-2012

S. C. R. No. 33

Senator Burke

Cosponsors: Senators Turner, Brown, Balderson, Peterson

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To memorialize the Congress of the United States to 1
seek the withdrawal of the United States 2
Preventive Services Task Force recommendation 3
against prostate-specific antigen-based screening 4
for prostate cancer for men in all age groups. 5

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING):

       WHEREAS, The United States Preventive Services Task Force 6
(USPSTF) is an independent panel of nonfederal experts in 7
prevention and evidence-based medicine that is composed of primary 8
care physicians; and 9

       WHEREAS, The USPSTF members are appointed by the United 10
States Department of Health and Human Services to conduct 11
scientific evidence reviews of a broad range of clinical health 12
care preventive services and develop recommendations for primary 13
care clinicians and health systems; and 14

       WHEREAS, The USPSTF acknowledges that prostate cancer is the 15
most commonly diagnosed nonskin cancer in men in the United 16
States, with one in six American men being diagnosed with prostate 17
cancer in his lifetime; and 18

       WHEREAS, Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of 19
cancer-related deaths in men in the United States; and 20

       WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that 21
approximately 241,740 men in the United States will be diagnosed 22
with prostate cancer and 28,170 men will die from the disease in 23
2012; and 24

       WHEREAS, In Ohio alone, there are approximately 7,961 newly 25
diagnosed cases of prostate cancer and 1,232 deaths from the 26
disease on an annual basis; and 27

       WHEREAS, In 2008, the USPSTF recommended against 28
prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for 29
men ages 75 and older; and 30

       WHEREAS, In October 2011, the USPSTF issued a new 31
recommendation against prostate-specific antigen-based screening 32
for prostate cancer for men in all age groups, because it 33
concluded that there is moderate or high certainty that the 34
service has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the 35
benefits; and 36

       WHEREAS, The USPSTF states that the October 2011 37
recommendation applies to men in the United States who do not have 38
symptoms of prostate cancer, even though by the time a man 39
experiences symptoms of prostate cancer, the cancer is generally 40
too advanced to cure; and 41

       WHEREAS, The USPSTF states that its new recommendation 42
against screening applies regardless of race, even though the 43
USPSTF acknowledges that African-American men have a substantially 44
higher prostate cancer incidence rate than Caucasian men and more 45
than twice the prostate cancer mortality rate of Caucasian men; 46
and 47

       WHEREAS, The USPSTF issued this recent recommendation without 48
having a urologist or oncologist, two types of physicians who 49
specialize in diagnosing and treating patients with prostate 50
cancer, on the task force; and 51

       WHEREAS, The USPSTF's 2011 recommendation regarding prostate 52
cancer screening follows its recommendation in November 2009 53
against routine mammograms for women ages 40 to 49 and against 54
teaching women to do breast self-examinations, which Congress 55
rejected after public outcry; and 56

       WHEREAS, The most recently updated study, the Goteborg 57
Randomized Population-based Prostate Cancer Screening Trial, found 58
that with screening, deaths from prostate cancer dropped 44 per 59
cent over a 14-year period, compared with men who did not undergo 60
screening, and that prostate cancer screening efficiency was 61
similar to other cancers; and 62

       WHEREAS, The USPSTF recommendation against screening puts 63
into harm's way men who are most at risk: the underinsured, those 64
who live in areas where health care is not readily available, 65
those who have a family history of prostate cancer, and 66
African-American men, who have a higher incidence of and higher 67
mortality rate from prostate cancer than Caucasian men; therefore 68
be it 69

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 129th General Assembly 70
of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, respectfully 71
memorialize the Congress of the United States to seek the 72
withdrawal of the United States Preventive Services Task Force 73
recommendation against prostate-specific antigen-based screening 74
for prostate cancer for men in all age groups; and be it further 75

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly 76
authenticated copies of this resolution to each member of the Ohio 77
Congressional delegation. 78

WHEREAS, The United States Preventive Services Task Force	6
(USPSTF) is an independent panel of nonfederal experts in	7
prevention and evidence-based medicine that is composed of primary	8
care physicians; and	9

WHEREAS, The USPSTF members are appointed by the United	10
States Department of Health and Human Services to conduct	11
scientific evidence reviews of a broad range of clinical health	12
care preventive services and develop recommendations for primary	13
care clinicians and health systems; and	14

WHEREAS, The USPSTF acknowledges that prostate cancer is the	15
most commonly diagnosed nonskin cancer in men in the United	16
States, with one in six American men being diagnosed with prostate	17
cancer in his lifetime; and	18

WHEREAS, Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of	19
cancer-related deaths in men in the United States; and	20

WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that	21
approximately 241,740 men in the United States will be diagnosed	22
with prostate cancer and 28,170 men will die from the disease in	23
2012; and	24

WHEREAS, In Ohio alone, there are approximately 7,961 newly	25
diagnosed cases of prostate cancer and 1,232 deaths from the	26
disease on an annual basis; and	27

WHEREAS, In 2008, the USPSTF recommended against	28
prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for	29
men ages 75 and older; and	30

WHEREAS, In October 2011, the USPSTF issued a new	31
recommendation against prostate-specific antigen-based screening	32
for prostate cancer for men in all age groups, because it	33
concluded that there is moderate or high certainty that the	34
service has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the	35
benefits; and	36

WHEREAS, The USPSTF states that the October 2011	37
recommendation applies to men in the United States who do not have	38
symptoms of prostate cancer, even though by the time a man	39
experiences symptoms of prostate cancer, the cancer is generally	40
too advanced to cure; and	41

WHEREAS, The USPSTF states that its new recommendation	42
against screening applies regardless of race, even though the	43
USPSTF acknowledges that African-American men have a substantially	44
higher prostate cancer incidence rate than Caucasian men and more	45
than twice the prostate cancer mortality rate of Caucasian men;	46
and	47

WHEREAS, The USPSTF issued this recent recommendation without	48
having a urologist or oncologist, two types of physicians who	49
specialize in diagnosing and treating patients with prostate	50
cancer, on the task force; and	51

WHEREAS, The USPSTF's 2011 recommendation regarding prostate	52
cancer screening follows its recommendation in November 2009	53
against routine mammograms for women ages 40 to 49 and against	54
teaching women to do breast self-examinations, which Congress	55
rejected after public outcry; and	56

WHEREAS, The most recently updated study, the Goteborg	57
Randomized Population-based Prostate Cancer Screening Trial, found	58
that with screening, deaths from prostate cancer dropped 44 per	59
cent over a 14-year period, compared with men who did not undergo	60
screening, and that prostate cancer screening efficiency was	61
similar to other cancers; and	62

WHEREAS, The USPSTF recommendation against screening puts	63
into harm's way men who are most at risk: the underinsured, those	64
who live in areas where health care is not readily available,	65
those who have a family history of prostate cancer, and	66
African-American men, who have a higher incidence of and higher	67
mortality rate from prostate cancer than Caucasian men; therefore	68
be it	69

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 129th General Assembly	70
of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, respectfully	71
memorialize the Congress of the United States to seek the	72
withdrawal of the United States Preventive Services Task Force	73
recommendation against prostate-specific antigen-based screening	74
for prostate cancer for men in all age groups; and be it further	75

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly	76
authenticated copies of this resolution to each member of the Ohio	77
Congressional delegation.	78