WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) bipartisan resolution to recognize September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children past infancy; in 2023, an estimated 9,910 children under the age of 14 will be diagnosed with cancer and about 1,040 will die of the disease in the United States.

“I’m proud to join my colleagues once again in recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Since my Childhood Cancer STAR Act became law and was recently reauthorized this year, we have seen better outcomes for children facing this terrible disease and advanced our research capabilities. We must continue to direct resources to efforts that better our understanding of childhood cancer, track the incidences of disease, improve the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors, and work towards a world without cancer,” Senator Capito said.

"One in 263 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday, and unfortunately, cancer remains the most common cause of death by disease for children in America. The Alliance for Childhood Cancer thanks Senator Manchin and Senator Scott for introducing a resolution to designate September 2023 as "National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month." This resolution will raise awareness and encourage research into cures for pediatric cancers," the Alliance for Childhood Cancer said.

Full text of the resolution is available here.

BACKGROUND:

On January 5, 2023, the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act of 2022, legislation authored by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), was signed into law by President Joe Biden. The bill reauthorizes the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, the most comprehensive childhood cancer bill ever passed by Congress, for another five years.

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