BySenators L. Wilson, Boehnke, Kauffman, King, Lovick, Muzzall, Nobles, Valdez, Wagoner, and C. Wilson

WHEREAS, Breast cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed cancers, and its many forms comprise the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States; and

WHEREAS, From 2016 through 2020, on average, breast cancer caused the deaths of nineteen out of every one hundred thousand people in Washington; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that in 2023, approximately two hundred ninety-seven thousand seven hundred ninety women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and over forty-three thousand will die from it; and

WHEREAS, The form of breast cancer known as Triple Negative Breast Cancer accounts for about fifteen to twenty percent of all diagnosed, invasive breast cancer cases in the United States; and

WHEREAS, More than fifty-three thousand seven hundred new breast cancer cases in 2019 in the United States were Triple Negative Breast Cancer with higher prevalence among younger women, Black and Hispanic women, women with type 2 diabetes or carrying excess weight in the abdomen area, and those with BRCA1 mutations; and

WHEREAS, Due to its aggressive behavior, Triple Negative Breast Cancer grows quickly and is not only more likely to have spread by the time it is discovered, it also is more likely than other types of breast cancer to come back after treatment; and

WHEREAS, People diagnosed with metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer have less than a thirty percent chance of surviving past five years; and

WHEREAS, Triple Negative Breast Cancer cells do not contain three key receptors that medicines typically target in other types of breast cancers, meaning there are limited treatment options, although patients with an early diagnosis can often be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery; and

WHEREAS, Recent innovation in targeted therapies have fueled advances in the fight against Triple Negative Breast Cancer, although limits on available therapies continue to make treating this disease a challenge; and

WHEREAS, Advances in breast cancer screening and treatment over the past few decades have reduced the overall breast cancer mortality rate, yet the disproportionate impact of Triple Negative Breast Cancer on racial and ethnic minority communities raises questions about what drives the disparities; and

WHEREAS, Only seventy-five percent of women in Washington have had a mammogram screening in the past two years; and

WHEREAS, It is necessary to promote Triple Negative Breast Cancer education, raise awareness about the disease-related disparities, and tackle inequities within the health care delivery system such as inadequate access to screening, diagnostic testing, and care, to improve early detection and survival; and

WHEREAS, Governor Jay Inslee is issuing a proclamation today celebrating the month of March as Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Month;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognize the Governor's proclamation, and together, honor the month of March as Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Month; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate encourage awareness and education about Triple Negative Breast Cancer and patient access to care, services, and medicines along the entire continuum of care.