Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal cancer on the Hispanic community.
H. Res. 276 is a non-binding House resolution introduced by Mr. Hernandez in the 119th Congress. It raises awareness about racial disparities in colorectal cancer, specifically its impact on the Hispanic community. The resolution highlights higher mortality risk and lower screening rates among Hispanics, and it urges federal agencies to expand research and outreach to reduce and ultimately eliminate these disparities. It designates March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, encourages individuals to learn their risk and discuss screening with their healthcare providers, and supports ongoing and additional research into environmental and demographic factors related to colorectal cancer risk, including a focus on young adults. The measure contains no funding provisions or enforceable mandates.
Key Points
- 1The resolution acknowledges that colorectal cancer is a major cause of cancer death among Hispanics and notes lower screening rates in this community (49% of eligible Hispanic adults screened vs. 58% for non-Hispanic Whites).
- 2It designates March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to promote education about risk factors, symptoms, and prevention.
- 3It urges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue and expand efforts to identify factors behind racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening and to develop strategies to reduce and eliminate these disparities.
- 4It encourages individuals to learn about their colorectal cancer risk and to talk with their health care providers about appropriate screening.
- 5It calls for research into environmental factors (CDC) and research into factors contributing to elevated risk for colorectal cancer in young adults (National Institutes of Health), and it honors patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates affected by the disease.