Last week, U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., introduced the “Veterans Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act.”
Dunn’s office weighed in why he introduced the proposal.
“Prostate cancer is the number one cancer diagnosed in the Veterans Health Administration with over 489,000 veterans undergoing treatment. This bill will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a clinical pathway for prostate cancer, a standardized system of care for the treatment of what is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the veterans’ health system,” Dunn’s office noted. “Veterans who have been in contact with toxins, such as Agent Orange, are at higher risk for prostate cancer. Establishing a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary prostate cancer clinical pathway within the Department of Veterans Affairs will optimize treatment options and result in improved outcomes for these patients.”
“After everything our veterans experience while serving, the last thing they should be faced with is yet another enemy – prostate cancer,” said Dunn who is a veteran and a doctor. “The key to overcoming prostate cancer is early detection. Veterans deserve a system that streamlines the pathway from early detection to successful treatment. This bill is a solid first step forward to save fellow veterans’ lives and defeat this deadly adversary.”
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is the main co-sponsor of the proposal which has the support of the American Urological Association (AUA), ZERO, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness (VPCa).
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee. So far, there is no counterpart in the U.S. Senate.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com
