Updated January 13th, 2025

Huge Increase in Access to Cancer Care for Veterans; Major New Policy Shift Announced to Help Service Members At Much Higher Risk

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Resources for Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs is making it easier for Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans to get care and benefits, as they will no longer need to prove their service led to their health condition.
Veterans will no longer need to show proof that their services led to any of the following conditions: acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myelomas, myelodysplastic syndromes, myelofibrosis, urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers.
Three-time prostate cancer survivor and retired Naval Commander Mike “Bing” Crosby, a patient advocate who founded Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness applaud this “extremely positive development,” but still feels the VA “is still lacking in its specific identification of prostate cancer as the number one diagnosed cancer in the VA.”
For Veterans facing prostate cancer, SurvivorNet offers a guide which can be accessed here.
Veterans can obtain free help by filing for health care and disability benefits from “accredited representatives, also known as service officers, according to the VA. Representatives can also be obtained through veterans service organizations (VSOs). These types of organizations include: Amvets, Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Vietnam Veterans of America

In a major new policy shift, the Department of Veterans Affairs is making it easier for a large group of people who serve the country to get cancer care and benefits they desperately need.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced this week that they’re changing their policy to help lessen the burden many veterans have to face when needing to prove that their service caused the cancer—something which can lead to hold ups when looking to obtain necessary treatment.

Now, Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans will have an easier time getting care and benefits, as The VA will begin automatically presuming that a veteran’s service is connected, without proof, to following conditions: acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myelomas, myelodysplastic syndromes, myelofibrosis, urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers.

Veterans with these types of cancer will no longer be required to prove that their service led to their condition to receive benefits, allowing them more access and free healthcare if they are battling the listed disease.

Retired Naval Commander Mike “Bing” Crosby—a three-time prostate cancer survivor, graduate of Navy Fighter Weapon School’s TOPGUN program, and patient advocate who founded Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness—commended the exciting news to SurvivorNet, “I applaud the announcement and determination by the Veterans Administration to make certain diseases and cancers a presumptive condition based on service and participation in the conflicts throughout the world.

Crosby founded the Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness (VPCA) in December 2016, which was created to promote awareness, early detection, and added resources for military service members and veterans.

Naval Aviator Mike ‘Bing’ Crosby’s Prostate Cancer Fight Fuels a New Mission — Helping The Wave of Veterans Getting Diagnosed

Crosby continued, “While the decision includes Genitourinary Cancers many Veterans need to be educated and reminded that Prostate Cancer falls within this category. Today there are over 500,000 Veterans receiving care for prostate cancer in the VA and over 16,000 with a metastatic form of the disease.

“It’s going to take a concerted and focused effort to address the need to conduct earlier and risk stratified screening of this high risk population and change the standard of care around this disease.”

The VA’s news release, published on January 8, explains that Gulf War Veterans as “veterans who served in Somalia or the Southwest Asia theater of operations (which includes Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations) during the Persian Gulf War on or after Aug. 2, 1990.”

It adds that post-9/11 Veterans are those who “served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, or Uzbekistan and the airspace above these locations during the Gulf War on or after Sept. 11, 2001,” including those who “served at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) base in Uzbekistan after Sept. 11, 2001.”

This change assists veterans by eliminating the need for proof that their service led to their condition to get help from the VA, and instead will assume the connection and offer benefits suitably.

According to the VA’s announcement, when Veterans become connected to one of these health conditions, they are offered access to free health care for the health issue they are dealing with.

“The presumptions for urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers went into effect Jan. 2, 2025, and the presumptions for acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myelomas, and myelodysplastic syndromes, myelofibrosis will be effective Jan. 10, 2025,” the VA explains in their announcement.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough stated, “At VA, our goal is to provide every Veteran with the care and benefits that they’ve earned for their service to our nation—and that’s what this is all about.

A Step-by-Step Guide for Veterans: Seeking Care for Prostate Cancer Through the VA Health System

“Adding these presumptives lowers the burden of proof for Veterans to get the benefits they deserve for the conditions that followed them home from war. We encourage Veterans with these conditions — and all Veterans — to apply today for the benefits they deserve today.”

The VA concludes, “In addition to supporting all Veterans who served during the Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan War, these steps are also a part of a comprehensive effort VA is undertaking to listen to Veterans who served at the Karshi-Khanabad base and ensure that VA is providing them — and their survivors — with the care and benefits they deserve.

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“VA encourages Veterans with these conditions to apply for benefits today, and encourages eligible Veterans with previously denied claims to reapply. VA will update publicly available information and conduct general outreach to Veterans and survivors to publicize this new eligibility and how to apply.”

Anyone interested in applying for benefits can visit VA.gov or call 1-800-MYVA411.

VA Precision Oncology Program (POP): Improving Cancer Outcomes for Veterans

Resources For Veterans With Cancer

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers various tools to assist veterans and their families with all-things health related.

Some of these resources consist of resources for disability benefits. military exposure, and health exams.

With regard to disability benefits, the VA explains, “VA disability compensation (pay) offers a monthly tax-free payment to Veterans who got sick or injured while serving in the military and to Veterans whose service made an existing condition worse.

“You may qualify for VA disability benefits for physical conditions (like a chronic illness or injury) and mental health conditions (like PTSD) that developed before, during, or after service. Find out how to apply for and manage the Veterans disability benefits you’ve earned.”

As for assistance with military exposure, as “veterans may have been exposed to a range of chemical, physical, and environmental hazards during military service,” the VA offers information on potential exposures that may be linked to a variety of health problems, including different types of cancer.

Free health evaluations are also offered to eligible veterans who may have been exposed to the following:

Chemicals (including Agent Orange and contaminated water)
Radiation (from nuclear weapons and X-rays, etc. )
Air Pollutants (such as burn pit smoke or dust)
Occupational Hazards (for example: asbesto or lead)
Warfare Agents (chemical and biological weapons)

The VA explains on its website, “VA’s health registry evaluation is a free, voluntary medical assessment for Veterans who may have been exposed to certain environmental hazards during military service.

“The evaluations alert Veterans to possible long-term health problems that may be related to exposure to specific environmental hazards during their military service. VA has established several health registries to track and monitor the health of specific groups of Veterans. The registry data helps VA understand and respond to these health problems more effectively.”

Veterans may be eligible to take part in one ore more of the following health registries:

Additionally, the VA explains that approximately 50,000 cases of cancer are reported annually in the VA Central Cancer Registry.

“In 2010, the three most frequently diagnosed cancers in the VA health care system were prostate, lung/bronchus, and colon/rectum cancer according to a 2017 study. This list is similar to cancers observed in American men,” the VA’s website states. “In 2021, bladder cancer was added to the list of presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange exposure, joining chronic B-cell leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate cancer, respiratory cancers (including lung cancer), and some soft tissue sarcomas.”

“VA’s National TeleOncology Program provides cancer care virtually, connecting patients and providers across great distances. The program delivers cancer screenings, diagnoses, and treatment for Veterans through telemedicine technology,” the VA adds.

Additionally, veterans can obtain free help by filing for health care and disability benefits from “accredited representatives, also known as service officers.

Representatives can also be obtained through veterans service organizations (VSOs). These types of organizations include:

WATCH: Helping Veterans With Their Mental Health.

Clinical Research at the VA

Meanwhile, the VA also offers clinical research, which involves studying new treatments, drugs, and therapies in clinical settings like hospitals, clinics, or doctor’s offices, to determine their safety and effectiveness.

Doing research in a clinical setting plays a crucial role by directly enhancing patient care. The VA uses what they find from these studies to advance treatments for veterans. Key areas of their clinical research include:

PTSD and Mental Health: The VA is always trying to improve the mental health of veterans. Studies in this area focus on making treatment more effective including psychotherapy, medication, and approaches that combine traditional and alternative medicine.
Chronic Pain Management: Many veterans live with chronic pain. The VA actively researches alternative pain management techniques beyond traditional methods. The goal is to reduce opioid use and develop effective, holistic treatments like acupuncture, physical therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Cardiovascular Health: Another vital area of clinical research is cardiovascular health, particularly for veterans with a history of heart conditions. The VA conducts studies on heart disease prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. This includes research on new medications, lifestyle interventions, and advanced surgical techniques.

“Very often, clinical trials include the standard treatments plus something else, and that gives you access to new treatments that you wouldn’t be able to access had you not entered a clinical trial.” Dr. Mattew Rettig told SurvivorNet.

Veterans eligible for these clinical trials contribute to the advancement of medical science. For the most current information on VA clinical trials and enrollment opportunities, veterans are encouraged to visit the VA’s clinical trials page.

What additional research programs and services does the VA offer?

The VA’s commitment to veteran care extends beyond clinical trials and laboratory research to include additional research programs and services designed to meet the unique needs of veterans.

These additional research areas highlight the VA’s commitment to addressing the full spectrum of veteran health and well-being. Other areas of research include:

Telehealth and Remote Care Services: The VA’s telehealth initiatives are a key area of ongoing research and development. They provide remote consultations through a computer or smartphone to allow veterans to talk to healthcare providers from anywhere. The program has done a lot to increase access to medical services and improve quality of care.
Geriatric and Aging Research: As the veteran population ages, they face unique healthcare challenges. The VA is focusing on geriatric research — the care and treatment of older adults — to understand age-related conditions and improve long-term approaches for veterans in their golden years.
Rehabilitation and Recovery Research: At the VA, rehabilitation research goes beyond physical recovery to include psychological and emotional healing. The agency is actively exploring new methods and technologies to improve recovery outcomes for veterans with diverse injuries and health issues.