Okaloosa County BOCC — October 16, 2012 — Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Proclamation 2012

PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, in 2012 an estimated 43,920 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States and 37,390 will die from the disease and pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and is the only major cancer with a five-year relative survival rate in the single digits at just six percent; and WHEREAS, when symptoms of pancreatic cancer present themselves, it is usually too late for an optimistic prognosis, and 74 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first year of their diagnosis while 94 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first five years and of all the racial/ethnic groups in the United States, African Americans have the highest incidence rate of pancreatic cancer, between 34 and 70 percent higher than the other groups and approximately 2,670 deaths will occur in Florida in 2012; 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 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, a figure far too low given the severity of the disease, its mortality rate, and how little is known about how to arrest it; and WHEREAS, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the first and only national patient advocacy organization that serves the pancreatic cancer community in Okaloosa County 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 the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its affiliates in Okaloosa County support those pa- tients 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. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of Okaloosa County, Florida, that we do hereby proclaim November 2012 as PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH DULY PASSED AND ADOPTED this 20th day of November, 2012. BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OKALOOSA COUNTY, FLORIDA ATTEST: _________________________________ DON R. AMUNDS CHAIRMAN ___________________________ DON W. HOWARD CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT