Proclamation - Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
WHEREAS, in 2011, an estimated 44,030 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the united States and 37,660 will die from the disease; and
WHEREAS, pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States; and
WHEREAS, when symptoms of pancreatic cancer present themselves, it is usually too late for an optimistic prognosis, and 74 percent of pancreatic patients die within the first year of their diagnosis while 94 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first five years; and
WHEREAS, approximately 980 deaths will occur in Georgia in 2011; and
WHEREAS, there is no cure for pancreatic cancer and there have been no significant improvements in survival rates in the last 40 years; and
WHEREAS, the Federal government invests significantly less money in pancreatic cancer research than it does in any of the other leading cancer killers; and pancreatic cancer research constitutes only approximately 2 percent of the National Cancer Institute’s federal research funding; and
WHEREAS, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the first and only national patient advocacy organization that serves the pancreatic cancer community in Dalton and nationwide by focusing its efforts on public policy, research funding, patient services, and public awareness and education related to developing effective treatments and a cure for pancreatic cancer; and
WHEREAS, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its affiliates in Dalton support those patients currently battling pancreatic cancer, as well as those who have lost their lives to the disease, and are committed to nothing less than a cure; and
WHEREAS, the good health and well-being of the residents of the City of Dalton are enhanced as a direct result of increased awareness about pancreatic cancer and research into early detection, causes and effective treatments.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, I, David Pennington, Mayor of the City of Dalton, hereby proclaim the month of November 2011 as “Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month” in Dalton, Georgia.