Assembly Resolution No. 768

BY: M. of A. DeStefano

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
January 2024, as Thyroid Disease Awareness Month in
the State of New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize
official months that are set aside to increase awareness of serious
conditions that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

WHEREAS, Thyroid Disease affecting an estimated 20 million Americans
in the United States, 60 percent of the people with Thyroid Disease
don't know they have a problem; the majority of people with this disease
have yet to be diagnosed; and

WHEREAS, Thyroid Disease is any dysfunction of the thyroid, the
butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck, it encompasses a wide
array of disorders, such as thyroid nodules, hypothyroidism,
hyperthyroidism, Goiter, Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and
various thyroid cancers; and

WHEREAS, The disease can develop in anyone, but tends to occur about
three times as often in women as in men; women between the ages of 35
and 65 are at highest risk of getting thyroid cancer, followed by older
people (both men and women); thyroid cancer occurs more frequently in
Whites and Asians than in African Americans; and

WHEREAS, Each year, approximately 1,000 men and 3,100 women are
diagnosed with thyroid cancer in New York State; of that number, about
50 men and 70 women die from this disease each year; and

WHEREAS, Between 1975 and 2013, the amount of thyroid cancer cases
diagnosed each year has more than tripled; cases of advanced forms of
the disease rose by nearly three percent each year while deaths rose by
about one percent each year; and

WHEREAS, At this time, the causes of thyroid cancer and disorders
are not well understood, however, scientists agree that certain factors
increase a person's risk of developing these diseases; these risk
factors include: exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation,
exposure to radioactive iodine, and it is more common among people with
certain inherited diseases including familial adenomatous polyposis; and

WHEREAS, To reduce the risk of Thyroid Disease, doctors recommend
partaking in regular exercise, stop smoking, and perform regular neck
checks; and

WHEREAS, Through public awareness, this Legislative Body seeks to
minimize the devastating effects of thyroid disease among all the
citizens of the State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim January 2024, as Thyroid
Disease Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.