GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

S	1 

SENATE BILL 335*

Short Title:  Cancer Registry Funds.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senator Odom.

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Referred to:  Appropriations

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March 8, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE CENTRAL CANCER REGISTRY.
Whereas, the trend in deaths from cancer is rising at a much higher rate than deaths from heart disease, such that cancer is expected to become the leading cause of death in North Carolina by the year 2000; and
Whereas, the incidence and severity of many cancers can be reduced through effective prevention measures and early detection, e.g., cervical cancer mortality has declined by 75% with widespread screening, and 70% of all cancers are associated with lifestyle choices, such as diet; and
Whereas, approximately 85% of adult North Carolinians have at least one risk factor for cancer that they can change, for example, 15% of women in North Carolina have not had a Pap smear in the last three years, and 38% of women over the age of 50 years have not had a mammogram and clinical breast exam in the last two years; and
Whereas, cancer prevention and control efforts are most effective when targeted to population subgroups and when they are specifically developed for a particular geographic area and prevention theme; and
Whereas, the Central Cancer Registry, in place since 1988, has described and studied many patterns for cancer among North Carolinians; and 
Whereas, funding for the Central Cancer Registry has been constant over the years, cancer rates have increased  significantly (35% rise in cancer deaths since 1982), hospital-based cancer programs have increased from seven to forty-one, and the number of statistical requests for cancer data have risen from less than 100 in 1988 to over 1,200 in 1994; and 
Whereas, the national "war on cancer" is escalating its aim to save lives by making early detection and state-of-the-art treatment technology available for all persons; and
Whereas, North Carolina does not have the specific cancer-oriented data or the particular expertise that it needs to discern cancer control needs and to evaluate program effectiveness for reducing the prevalence of cancer risk factors, for increasing access to state-of-the-art cancer detection services and clinical care, and for lowering the rate of cancer mortality in the State; and 
Whereas, the Cancer Committee of the North Carolina Medical Society has directed the Central Cancer Registry to expand its data collection efforts to include cancer-directed treatment and annual follow-up of cancer patients to evaluate the effects of treatments to achieve a cure or to enable the patient to return to normal life expectancy; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources the sum of seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) for the 1995-96 fiscal year and the sum of seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) for the 1996-97 fiscal year for the expansion of cancer control programs.
Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1995.