Current status is Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4841

1. Short title
2. Findings
3. NCI review on current state of stomach cancer incidence, prevention, screening, awareness, and future public health importance
4. Department of Defense study on stomach cancer incidence and risk factors among military personnel

1. Short title

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

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 30,300 new cases of stomach cancer in 2025.

(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.

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;

(D) - actions to improve research on, prevention and early diagnosis of, and screening and treatment for stomach cancer.

4. Department of Defense study on stomach cancer incidence and risk factors among military personnel

(a) Study - The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Director of the National Cancer Institute and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall conduct a study on the incidence, risk factors, prevention, and early detection of stomach cancer among members of the Armed Forces and former members of the Armed Forces.

(b) Elements - The study under subsection (a) shall include—

(1) - an examination of—

(A) - the incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates of stomach cancer among members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty and former members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty;

(B) - the identification of service-related or deployment-related risk factors, including exposure to burn pits, hazardous chemicals, contaminated water, occupational hazards, and endemic infections such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori);

(C) - disparities in stomach cancer outcomes based on race, ethnicity, gender, Armed Force, or geographic deployment history within military populations;

(D) - the availability and use of stomach cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment services within the military health system and the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

(E) - opportunities to improve prevention and early detection strategies within the military health system and the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

(2) - relevant coordination with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program and other national cancer registries to ensure comprehensive data collection and analysis.

(c) Report - Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of the study under subsection (a), including—

(1) - policy and programmatic recommendations to reduce stomach cancer incidence and mortality among members of the Armed Forces and former members of the Armed Forces; and

(2) - proposed strategies for integrating stomach cancer awareness, screening, and treatment protocols into the military health system and the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

119-HR4841