Stomach Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9304 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9304

 To require the Director of the National Cancer Institute to conduct a 
 review of the current state of stomach cancer incidence, prevention, 
  screening, awareness, and future public health importance, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 6, 2024

 Ms. Caraveo (for herself and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Director of the National Cancer Institute to conduct a 
 review of the current state of stomach cancer incidence, prevention, 
  screening, awareness, and future public health importance, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stomach Cancer Prevention and Early 
Detection Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Stomach cancer accounts for about 1.5 percent of all 
        new cancers diagnosed in the United States each year.
            (2) It is estimated that there will be nearly 27,000 new 
        cases of stomach cancer in 2024.
            (3) There are disparities in stomach cancer incidence and 
        mortality among racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
            (4) While there has been a decline in stomach cancer 
        incidence, the lack of awareness and focus on risk factors and 
        early detection through screening and surveillance may cause 
        individuals at high risk for the disease to dismiss their 
        symptoms.
            (5) Establishing a basis for stomach cancer prevalence, 
        awareness, current screening, and implications for future 
        public health importance will allow for--
                    (A) more effective outreach and screening among 
                individuals at risk;
                    (B) increased awareness and education among the 
                general public to prevent stomach cancer; and
                    (C) increased awareness and education among health 
                care providers regarding gastric cancer disparities, 
                screening, treatment, and monitoring.

SEC. 3. NCI REVIEW ON CURRENT STATE OF STOMACH CANCER INCIDENCE, 
              PREVENTION, SCREENING, AWARENESS, AND FUTURE PUBLIC 
              HEALTH IMPORTANCE.

    (a) Review.--The Director of the National Cancer Institute shall 
conduct a review of--
            (1) the current incidence of stomach cancer in the United 
        States;
            (2) the risk factors for stomach cancer, including the 
        incidence of such risk factors among high-risk populations and 
        the general public;
            (3) the optimal age range to test for and treat 
        Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, as a risk factor, 
        for the purpose of primary prevention in high-risk populations 
        and the general population;
            (4) the availability and frequency of screening for stomach 
        cancer, including utilization and effectiveness, among high-
        risk populations;
            (5) the availability and effectiveness of endoscopic 
        screenings in high-risk populations;
            (6) the availability and effectiveness of endoscopic 
        resection and surveillance endoscopy for patients with 
        confirmed gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) with high-grade 
        dysplasia and early gastric cancer;
            (7) the benefits of surveillance endoscopy for patients at 
        elevated risk, including patients with gastric intestinal 
        metaplasia (GIM) who are at increased risk of gastric cancer 
        due to ethnic background, family history, or other risk 
        stratification parameters such as smoking and H. pylori 
        infection;
            (8) current awareness and education about stomach cancer 
        risk factors, prevention, symptoms, screening, and treatment 
        options among high-risk populations and the general public; and
            (9) current Federal efforts to increase awareness and 
        education of stomach cancer among high-risk populations and the 
        general public.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the National Cancer Institute shall--
            (1) submit to the Congress a report on the results of the 
        review under subsection (a); and
            (2) include in such report recommendations for--
                    (A) establishing a clear definition of high-risk 
                populations in the United States;
                    (B) informing researchers, clinicians, physicians, 
                patients, and other relevant stakeholders on--
                            (i) identifying high-risk individuals; and
                            (ii) effective methods for detecting 
                        precancerous lesions and early gastric cancer;
                    (C) establishing routine screening guidelines for 
                stomach cancer; and
                    (D) actions to improve research on, prevention and 
                early diagnosis of, and screening and treatment for 
                stomach cancer.
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