One of VA's important cancer research objectives in treating cancer is improving doctors' ability to diagnose colon cancer—a disease that affects about 150,000 Americans each year. Colon cancer can be cured if diagnosed early, yet one-third of patients who develop colon cancer will die from the disease.
What is VA compensation for cancer?
To receive veterans ( VA) disability for cancer, you must prove a connection between your diagnosed medical condition and an injury, illness, or event during your service. Doing so is a complicated process. That is why having a qualified attorney working on your behalf can help.
What is the best alternative treatment for cancer?
This could be due to several factors, not the least of which include:
- dissatisfaction with chemotherapy side effects
- cost of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery (especially with quality, affordable insurance options diminishing)
- growing interest in natural, holistic living
- increased concern with Big Pharma (you don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to be concerned here)
How to recover from treatment for cancer?
- Exercise. Regular exercise increases your sense of well-being after cancer treatment and can speed your recovery.
- Eat a balanced diet. Vary your diet to include lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. ...
- Maintain a healthy weight. ...
- Rest well. ...
- Reduce stress. ...
- Stop using tobacco. ...
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. ...
- Do what you can. ...
What are the costs of cancer treatment?
- 28 million nonelderly individuals remain without coverage.
- 45% of U.S. ...
- $1,505 was the average deductible for a single coverage policy in 2017.
- 44% of the $87.8 billion spent on cancer-related health care in 2014 was out-of-pocket expenses.
- One-third of insured cancer patients spend more out-of-pocket than anticipated.
Does VA have good cancer treatment?
Although located in southern California, the West LA VA Medical Center treats United States military veterans from across America. The WLA VA center has one of the best malignant mesothelioma treatment programs anywhere in the nation.
How Much Does VA pay for cancer?
How Does the VA Rate Cancer? Because cancer is a devastating diagnosis, causes severe functional impact, and cannot always be cured or sent into remission, the VA gives veterans a 100 percent disability rating after diagnosis and while receiving care.
How effective is the VA?
On a one-to-five scale, VA medical centers received a 3.28 in overall ratings, compared to 3.38 ratings for non-VA facilities. VA medical centers received a 2.87 for a summary rating for the overall hospital stay, which was about on par with the 2.92 civilian hospitals received.
Can the VA refuse to treat you?
You can agree to or refuse any treatment. You will be told what is likely to happen to you if you refuse a treatment. Refusing a treatment will not affect your rights to future care but you take responsibility for the impact this decision may have on your health.
Does VA pay for chemotherapy?
If you are service-connected for an active cancer, VA should automatically assign a 100 percent disability rating. This rating continues for as long as your cancer is active, and then for another six months following the successful completion of a treatment program, such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery.
What cancers does the VA cover?
If you received a cancer diagnosis during or after active military service, you might qualify for VA disability benefits....Burn Pit ExposureBladder cancer.Brain cancer.Chronic B-cell leukemias.Lung cancer and other respiratory cancers.Multiple myeloma.Hodgkin's disease.Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
What is the highest rated VA hospital?
VISNMedical CenterRelative Performance Star Rating (1 to 5)1Boston42Bronx32Brooklyn42Buffalo5105 more rows
Is surgery at the VA Safe?
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced VA hospitals outperform or match neighboring non-VA hospitals in surgical quality and overall patient safety satisfaction.
What's wrong with the VA?
While the VA is rooted in noble intentions, it has been plagued with problems for years. The VA has faced reports of excessive and contradictory spending, allegations of inadequate health care, a massive backlog of benefits claims and a top leadership position that nobody can seem to hold down.
Why does the VA not care?
Instead of simply providing care to all veterans who pass statutory muster, VA creates its own set of regulations that further excludes former service members. It assumes that those who received honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharges qualify as veterans and thus can receive services.
Why do veterans not like the VA?
Of the veteran and active service members who reported to the annual Wounded Warrior Project Survey that they have never used VA health care services, the most common reasons given included preferring to use other health care coverage and too much trouble or red tape....CharacteristicPercentage of respondents--9 more rows•Jun 20, 2022
Will the VA pay for outside treatment?
VA can pay for emergency medical care outside the United States if the emergency is related to your service-connected condition.
What cancers are most common in VA patients?
The five most frequently diagnosed cancers among VA cancer patients were prostate, lung and bronchial, colorectal, urinary and bladder cancers, and skin melanomas. This list is similar to that for American men as a whole.
What is VA research?
VA researchers conduct laboratory experiments aimed at discovering the molecular and genetic mechanisms involved in cancer; studies looking at the causes of disease; clinical trials to evaluate new or existing treatments; and studies focused on improving end-of-life care.
How many men were diagnosed with testicular cancer between 1959 and 1987?
An international study completed in 2015, involving researchers from the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, looked at more than 22,000 men who were diagnosed with testicular cancer between 1959 and 1987, when radiation doses were higher and less targeted.
What year was the VA established?
In 1930, the year the Veterans Administration (the predecessor to today's Department of Veterans Affairs) was established, the Hines, Illinois, VA hospital created a cancer treatment ...
What is cancer in the body?
Cancer is a general term that includes more than 200 different diseases. In all forms of cancer, cells in the body grow and multiply abnormally, eventually taking over and destroying normal tissue. The main types of cancer are leukemias and lymphomas, involving the blood and related tissues; carcinomas, which occur in the skin, glands, ...
When was cigarette smoking linked to cancer?
1950: Concluded, in a paper by Dr. Robert Schrek of Hines, there is "strong circumstantial evidence" linking cigarette smoking with respiratory tract cancers. 1956: Linked cigarette smoking with precancerous lesions. 1984: Developed a transdermal nicotine patch to reduce the cravings for cigarettes.
When was the first cancer lab established?
Early pioneers— In 1932 , the Hines VA hospital established a Tumor Research Laboratory to complement the work of its cancer treatment center—VA's first laboratory to receive funds specifically for research work.
What is the VA's genetic testing program called?
The VA has a new program called PHASER, that offers genetic testing to tell us how your body responds to about thirty commonly used medicines. Although you might not be on one of these medicines now, we know that half of patients will be given one of those medicines in the next three years.
Does the VA have a PCF?
The VA has partnered with PCF to provide educational information to Veterans with prostate cancer.
Why are antioxidants used in cancer treatment?
The use of antioxidants (vitamins A, C, E, selenium, and carotenoids) during cancer treatment is controversial due to the theoretical risk of reducing the number of free radicals created by chemoradiotherapy. Since free radicals target and kill cancer cells, suppressing production can reduce the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Antioxidants have not been found to prevent gastric, [162] skin, [163] prostate, [164] or colon cancers. [165] Other meta-analyses found that antioxidants do not prevent any cancer. [166] [167] [168] Beta-carotene increases lung cancer risk in people who smoke and have asbestosis. [169] Preliminary evidence suggests that high-dose intravenous antioxidants during chemotherapy can reduce side effects and potentiate treatment effects, but that is beyond the scope of this discussion as specific therapeutic recommendations cannot yet been made.
How does positive thinking affect cancer patients?
Positive thinking involves the use of mental techniques and strategies to overcome unpleasant , unwanted, and destructive attitudes and states of mind. Cancer patients can use positive mental imagery to influence the body. However, the societal tendency to downplay the negative and emphasize the positive trivializes the legitimacy of a person’s circumstances and the stress they cause. False optimism prevents people from expressing negative feelings, since it results in others being unwilling or unable to hear about them. [56] Attempted suppression of negative thoughts and emotions can harm one’s physical health and may decrease immune functioning. Many cancer survivors attribute non-reoccurrence to having a positive attitude, and those who do experience reoccurrence may feel they were not positive enough. It is critical to explain to patients that coping strategies such as positive thinking, having hope, or trying to maintain normalcy may not directly influence their actual control over or responsibility for their cancer outcomes. [57]
How does music therapy help with cancer?
[38] Within a cancer center, a music therapy program can be used to promote patient self-expression, assist patients with music choices to enhance mood and reduce stress, facilitate group interactions with music serving as the catalyst, and promote physical and emotional well-being. Passive music therapy has been shown to reduce anxiety during radiation, chemotherapy, and post-surgery. It is affordable, easy to implement, non-invasive, and does not have any negative effects. [31]
How much physical activity is needed for cancer?
The ACS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week to see a protective benefit. [9] Cancer risk reduction with physical activity ranges from 10%-30%, with best evidence for colon and breast cancer and moderate evidence for endometrial, prostate, and lung cancer. [10] [11]
What is Pam's breast cancer?
Pam is a 48-year-old nurse who served in Iraq during Desert Storm. She recently found a painless 1 cm lump in her left breast that grew over the past two months. Her VA clinic physician ordered a mammogram which showed a concerning lesion. The biopsy revealed estrogen and progesterone negative breast cancer. After a mastectomy and axillary node dissection, it was confirmed that the cancer had metastasized to some of the local lymph nodes. Her oncologist explained that her cancer treatment will need to include chemotherapy and radiation.
Why do people fear cancer?
People often fear the diagnosis because of its associated mortality risks, as well as the side effects of treatments. Depending on where a given person with cancer is, in the process of diagnosis and treatment, different concerns will come to the forefront. These concerns can interfere with the patient’s overall well-being and effective participation their own healing process. Mind-body interventions are important for helping patients optimize their course to recovery, in part because they enhance the mind’s capacity to affect bodily functions.
How does hypnosis help with cancer?
In cancer patients, clinical hypnosis is effective for reducing pain, anxiety, depression, anticipatory or chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, procedural-related pain and distress, and hot flashes. [127] Cancer care health care providers should pay attention to what their words may be suggesting to patients, whether or not a formal hypnotic induction is used. Negative suggestions include ‘‘little sting here’’ or ‘‘sharp scratch there’’ while more neutral descriptors are ‘‘some feeling of warmth, coolness, or tingling.’’
What is VA research?
VA researchers conduct laboratoryexperiments aimed at discovering the molecular and genetic mechanisms involved in cancer; studies looking at the causes of disease; clinical trials to evaluate new or existing treatments;and studies focused on improving end-of-life care.
What are the different types of cancer?
The main types of cancer are leukemiasand lymphomas, involving the blood and related tissues; carcinomas, which occur in the skin, glands, and certain organs; and sarcomas, which involve muscles and connective tissues.
How many different diseases are there in cancer?
Cancer is a general term that includes more than 200 different diseases. In all forms of cancer, cells in the body grow and multiply abnormally, eventually taking over and destroying normal tissue.
Do you have to quit lung cancer screening?
Many patients believed that undergoing the screening process meant they did not need to quit. The researchers recommend that clinicians address misconceptions about lung cancer screenings with patients. (JAMA Internal Medicine, September 2015)
Does gene therapy stop prostate cancer?
Gene therapy could halt the growth of prostate tumors, according to Kansas City (Mo.) VA Medical Center researchers. A combination of genes for prostate-specific antigen and prostate stem cell antigen seemed to stop prostate tumors from growing in mice by promoting the production of T cells that attacked tumor cells. (Immunotherapy, June 2011)
How long does it take for a VA to evaluate a veteran's cancer?
Six months after cancer treatment ends , VA will schedule the veteran for a Compensation & Pension (C&P) examination to evaluate the current status of their condition. If the C&P examination shows that their cancer is no longer active, but in remission, VA will then evaluate the cancer based on its residuals, if any.
How long does cancer stay on VA disability?
This rating continues for as long as their cancer is active, and then for another six months following the successful completion of a treatment program (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery). Six months after cancer treatment ends, VA will schedule the veteran for a Compensation & Pension (C&P) examination to evaluate the current status of their condition. If the C&P examination shows that their cancer is no longer active, but in remission, VA will then evaluate the cancer based on its residuals, if any. For example, erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence are common residual symptoms of prostate cancer. If prostate cancer is no longer active, VA will likely reduce the disability rating for that condition and assign new ratings based on the severity of the veteran’s erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence if present.
What are occupational hazards for veterans?
Exposure to occupational hazards has less to do with where veterans served and more to do with what they were doing during service. If veterans are dealing with a certain type of cancer, it could be really helpful for them to look at their MOS and reflect on what they were exposed to while doing the tasks associated with the job. For example, perhaps a veteran was around different industrial solvents as they were often used in cleaning and degreasing, paint stripping, etc. Industrial solvents can be very dangerous because they contain chemicals, such as benzene, that are known to cause cancer. Therefore, if veterans used any dangerous chemicals during their daily routines, there is a chance that such exposure could have contributed to their development of cancer later on in life. Veterans should apply for service connection for cancer due to occupational hazards on a direct basis.
What is the VA disability rating?
When the VA approves you for disability benefits, it assigns you a disability rating. This rating is between 0 and 100 percent. The severity of your condition, as judged by the VA, determines your disability rating.
How much is VA disability in 2020?
As of December 1st, 2020 the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows: 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month.
How long does it take for a VA to evaluate a cancer diagnosis?
Six months after your cancer treatment ends , the VA requires you to undergo another examination to evaluate the current status of your diagnosis. It then assigns you a new rating based on the results of the exam.
Do veterans have to have a nexus?
If veterans were presumed to be exposed to radiation and later develop one of the above-mentioned cancers, they will not be required to provide a medical nexus. Again, when VA creates a presumption, it is essentially elimination one of the elements of service connection. Specifically, if veterans show that they have a disability, the in-service event and the nexus opinion are conceded.
How many medical centers are there in the VA?
In a statement, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie touted improvements across the 146 medical centers.
When was the VA rating made public?
The VA ratings — made public in 2016 after a USA Today report on the internal scorecards — grade each of the locations on metrics like patient mortality, patient length of stay, reported accidents and patient satisfaction. Officials have said the system is used to collect best practices from high-performing facilities to use in underperforming ones.
What is cancer rating?
Cancer ratings are based on analysis of various data categories: patient outcomes in the medical and surgical treatment of cancer, volume of high-risk patients, patient experience, nurse staffing, and advanced clinical technologies. Each hospital is then given a score and the 50 top-scoring hospitals are nationally ranked.
How are cancer ratings based?
Cancer ratings are based on analysis of various data categories: patient outcomes in the medical and surgical treatment of cancer, volume of high-risk patients, patient experience, nurse staffing, and advanced clinical technologies. Each hospital is then given a score and the 50 top-scoring hospitals are nationally ranked. The top 10% within the specialty are considered high performing, and the rest are unranked. Use our National Score Distribution to view how well this hospital scored for cancer among all the other hospitals being evaluated. See the full U.S. News national rankings in Cancer or hospital ratings in colon cancer surgery and lung cancer surgery.
Is the National Cancer Institute a comprehensive cancer center?
Recognized by the National Cancer Institute as a "comprehensive" or "clinical" cancer center.
Overview
- VA launched the National Precision Oncology Programthat allows us to target treatments to the right patients at the right time through a molecular understanding of the patient’s tumor. In 2016, we started with a handful of sites that were able to collect and test samples. Since then, we expanded to 129 sites, providing 24,000 molecular tests to 18,...
Classification
Epidemiology
Scope
- Cancer is a general term that includes more than 200 different diseases. In all forms of cancer, cells in the body grow and multiply abnormally, eventually taking over and destroying normal tissue.
Research
- The main types of cancer are leukemias and lymphomas, involving the blood and related tissues; carcinomas, which occur in the skin, glands, and certain organs; and sarcomas, which involve muscles and connective tissue.
Legacy
- A 2012 VA study reported that around 40,000 cancer cases are reported to VA's Central Cancer Registry annually, about three percent of all cancers in the United States. Testicular cancer typically develops in one or both testicles in young men, but it can occur in older men as well. It is a highly treatable and usually curable form of cancer. An in...
Health
- The five most frequently diagnosed cancers among VA cancer patients were prostate, lung and bronchial, colorectal, urinary and bladder cancers, and skin melanomas. This list is similar to that for American men as a whole.
Effects
- VA researchers conduct laboratory experiments aimed at discovering the molecular and genetic mechanisms involved in cancer; studies looking at the causes of disease; clinical trials to evaluate new or existing treatments; and studies focused on improving end-of-life care. Investigators are focusing on discovering the sources of cancer cells in the body and ways to eradicate them; eva…
Benefits
- Schrek's work was followed up by the work of Dr. Oscar Auerbach, of VA's East Orange hospital, now the East Orange campus of the VA New Jersey Health Care System. Auerbach's landmark animal research study found that smoking for three years caused major changes in the lungs of animals who were taught to inhale cigarettesand that many developed cancer.
Philosophy
- Testing e-cigarettesIn 2015, a team of VA researchers at the VA San Diego Healthcare System looked at the possible health risks of electronic cigarettes, and found they damaged cells in ways that could lead to cancer. The damage occurred even with nicotine-free versions of the products. The lab experiments did not find that e-cigarette vapor was as harmful to cells as cigarette smo…
Diagnosis
- A 2016 study by a different team of researchers in San Diego reported that e-cigarettes can kill human airway cells. At high doses, they also suppress users' immune defenses, inflame the lungs, and promote the growth of bacteria in the lungs that can cause pneumonia and other diseases.
Future
- Some told the researchers that undergoing the test had the same benefit as stopping smoking, even when precancerous lung nodules were found. Others felt that being able to return for additional screenings would protect them, and still others felt that a cancer-free screening test indicated that they were among the lucky ones who would avoid the harms of smoking.
Preparation
- All of these assumptions are falseas is the assumption many study participants had that lung cancer was the only potentially lethal effect of smoking. The team suggested that counseling for smokers should target these and other rationalizations some people use to avoid quitting.
Projects
- As Veterans are diagnosed, VA physicians will take a specimen of their tumor and send it to qualified laboratories for targeted genomic sequencing, a process that determines the DNA sequence of genes that are considered important in lung cancer. Detecting flat growthsA 2008 study by researchers at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System found that while doctors use colon…
Goals
- This precision oncology program is currently underway at VA facilities throughout New England, and VA hopes to expand it nationally in the future.
Availability
- Patients undergoing virtual colonoscopies do not need to use laxatives before the procedure, often viewed as the most difficult aspect of a colonoscopy.
Treatment
- Contributing to guidelinesIn 2015 VA researchers from three sites joined with gastroenterologists from throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to develop a new set of recommendations on the surveillance and management of areas of pre-cancerous cells in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Prevention
- The new guidelines focus less on random biopsies to find potential trouble spots and more on using newly available technologies to identify and remove these pre-cancerous areas before cancer can develop.