sr565_Read_and_adopted_LC_96_2676_2.html
07 LC 96 2676
Senate Resolution 565
By: Senators Schaefer of the 50th, Whitehead, Sr. of the 24th, Pearson of the 51st, Grant of the 25th, Hudgens of the 47th and others

A RESOLUTION


Recognizing "Lung Cancer Awareness Month" in honor of the late U.S. Representative Charles Whitlow Norwood, Jr., D.D.S.; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Georgia's beloved Republican Congressman Charlie Norwood passed away on February 13, 2007, after a quiet, courageous struggle with pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer; and

WHEREAS, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women in the United States, claiming the lives of more people each year than almost all other cancers combined, and accounting for nearly one in every three cancer deaths in the United States and approximately 30 percent of deaths in Georgia; and

WHEREAS, the funding for research for lung cancer is significantly lower than funding for other types of cancer research; and

WHEREAS, there are currently no standard screening procedures for lung cancer which corresponds to the significantly higher mortality rate and results in 70 percent of new lung cancer cases failing to be diagnosed until late stages in the growth of the cancer; and

WHEREAS, early detection of this silent, deadly killer is the key to survival, and the State of Georgia recognizes the need for greater public awareness of the risks and the need for education and for the earlier diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize November, 2007, as "Lung Cancer Awareness Month" in honor of the late Congressman Charles Whitlow Norwood, Jr., D.D.S.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State of Georgia hereby supports initiatives to further public education concerning the risks, treatment, and early detection of lung cancer and encourages lung cancer research with the goal of significantly reducing the five-year survival rate from 15 percent to 50 percent within ten years.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Lung Cancer Alliance of Georgia.