#aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #cdij  ,,an ,,act  ,to require the  
,government ,accountability ,office to  
produce a report on esophageal cancer1  
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,gerald ,e4 ,connolly ,esophageal       
,cancer ,awareness ,act of #bjbe4  #b4  
,findings ,congress finds that--  7#a7  
esophageal cancer is the fastest        
increasing cancer among ,american men2  
7#b7 esophageal cancer is one of the    
fastest growing cancer diagnoses among  
all ,americans1 increasing more than    
#gjj percent in recent decades2  7#c7   
esophageal cancer kills #a ,american    
every #cf minutes every day2  7#d7      
esophageal cancer is among the deadliest
 of cancers1 with only about #a in #e   
patients surviving #e years2  7#e7      
esophageal cancer has tripled in        
incidence among younger ,americans in   
recent decades2  7#f7 esophageal cancer 
has low survival rates because it is    
usually discovered at advanced stages   

when treatment outcomes are poor2  7#g7 
raising awareness about esophageal      
cancer empowers individuals to seek     
preventive care1 recognize symptoms1 and
 pursue early detection strategies2     
7#h7 survivors1 caregivers1 medical     
professionals1 and researchers have made
 tremendous strides in advancing        
treatment options and improving the     
quality of life for those affected by   
the disease2  7#i7 esophageal cancer can
 be prevented through early detection of
 its precursor1 ,barrett's esophagus1   
which can be eliminated with curative   
outpatient techniques2  7#aj7 research  
indicates that patients diagnosed with  
early-stage esophageal cancer have a    
significantly higher #e-year survival   
rate 7as high as #di percent7 compared  
to those diagnosed at later stages1     
underscoring the critical need for      
enhanced screening and awareness2 and   
7#aa7 as of ,december #bjbb1 the        
,american ,gastroenterological          
,association recommends screening with a

 standard upper endoscopy in individuals
 with #c or more established risk       
factors for ,barrett's ,esophagus and   
esophageal adenocarcinoma1 including--  
7,a7 male sex2  7,b7 non-,hispanic white
 ethnicity2  7,c7 age of #ej years or   
older2  7,d7 a history of smoking1      
chronic gastrointestinal reflux disease1
 or obesity2 and  7,e7 a family history 
of ,barrett's ,esophagus or esophageal  
adenocarcinoma4  #c4 ,,gao report ,not  
later than #a year after the date of the
 enactment of this ,act1 the            
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit a report to        
,congress that includes an evaluation   
of-- 7#a7 the total impact of esophageal
 cancer-related health care spending    
under the ,federal ,employee ,health    
,benefits ,program for ,federal         
employees and retirees diagnosed with   
esophageal cancer2 and  7#b7 how often  
individuals covered under the ,federal  
,employees ,health ,benefits ,program   
with medical records indicating such    

individuals are high-risk for esophageal
 cancer undergo screening according to  
the established guidelines4  ,passed the
 ,house of ,representatives ,june #c1   
#bjbe4;,clerk4