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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Breast cancer is among the most commonly
3diagnosed types of cancer and the second leading cause of
4cancer death among women in the United States; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Approximately 297,790 women will be diagnosed
6with breast cancer, and more than 43,000 will die with this
7malignancy in 2023; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is one of
9many forms of breast cancer and accounts for approximately 15
10to 20% of all diagnosed invasive breast cancer cases in the
11United States; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In 2019, more than 53,700 new breast cancer cases
13in the United States were diagnosed as TNBC, with higher
14prevalence among younger women, Black and Hispanic women,
15women with type 2 diabetes or carrying excess weight in the
16abdomen area, and those with BRCA1 mutations; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Due to its aggressive behavior, TNBC grows
18quickly, is more likely to have spread at the time it is found,
19and is more likely to come back after treatment than other
20types of breast cancer; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, People diagnosed with metastatic TNBC have a less
2than 30% chance of surviving past five years; and
 
3    WHEREAS, TNBC cells do not contain, or are "negative for",
4three key receptors that medicines typically target in other
5types of breast cancer; therefore, limited treatment options
6that can be used to treat the cancer; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Patients with an early diagnosis can often be
8treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery; however,
9the limited therapies available, which specifically address
10the management of TNBC, have made treating this disease a
11challenge for clinicians; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Recent innovation in targeted therapies have
13fueled advances in the fight against TNBC; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Studies have shown that TNBC disease-specific
15mortality rates are often higher if patients have Medicaid or
16Medicare or come from a lower socioeconomic status; compared
17with non-Hispanic white women, Black women are 48% less likely
18to receive guideline adherent care and have an approximate
19two-fold higher mortality incidence, resulting in a
20disproportionately higher risk of death from TNBC; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Advances in breast cancer screening and treatment

 

 

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1over the last few decades have reduced the overall breast
2cancer mortality rate, yet the disproportionate impact of TNBC
3on racial and ethnic minority communities raises
4considerations about the underlying determinants driving the
5disparities; and
 
6    WHEREAS, It is necessary to promote TNBC education to
7raise awareness about disease-related disparities and to
8tackle inequities within health care delivery, such as
9inadequate access to screening, diagnostic testing, and care
10to improve early detection and survival; therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
12ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare the month of
13March 2023 as Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Month in
14the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That we support legislation to reduce
16Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) disparities in early
17detection and survival by improving education and awareness
18through health promotion initiatives targeting underserved
19communities that are disproportionately impacted, which will
20help in ensuring equitable access and affordability of breast
21cancer screening, genetic counseling, and diagnostic testing,
22promoting cultural sensitivity and workforce diversity
23policies in health care provider training, and guaranteeing

 

 

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1timely patient access to clinically appropriate treatment
2options identified in the National Comprehensive Cancer
3Network (NCCN) guidelines; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That additional legislative provisions should be
5examined to safeguard affordable, continuous, and equitable
6patient access to TNBC-related care, services, and medicines
7along the entire continuum of care.