As a cancer surveillance professional, I’m writing to encourage your support for S.1994, the Counting Veterans' Cancer Act of 2023, sponsored by Senators Mark Kelly and Thom Tillis. The Counting Veterans’ Cancer Act will help ensure all veterans receive the highest quality cancer care they need and deserve. Senators Kelly and Tillis have also filed an identical amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill which I hope you will vote for.

Federal law requires the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute to collect cancer data for all newly diagnosed cancer cases, but that cannot be achieved due to frequent lack of reporting by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities to cancer registries. The VA is America’s largest integrated health care system, serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year. It’s estimated that each year, thousands of cancer cases among veterans are missed by the central cancer registries that form the foundation of national cancer research. An estimated 23,305 cases were thought to go unreported to central cancer registries because of non-reporting by VA facilities in 2019. In fact, one registry reported missing 4,160 cases and only 8 registries reported missing no cases. Of the 122 VA facilities treating cancer in 2021, only 39 were routinely reporting data as civilian facilities as required by federal law.


The Counting Veterans Cancer Act is a common-sense solution to a very fixable problem.

I’m asking that you support and co-sponsor the Counting Veterans’ Cancer Act of 2023 (S.1994) that will require all cancer cases among veterans reported to the VA be reported to central cancer registries. The Counting Veterans' Cancer Act will:

• Provide more accurate national statistics on veterans' cancer cases.
• Help identify cancer-related disparities in the veterans’ community.
• Improve understanding of the cancer-related needs of veterans.
• Increase opportunities for veterans with cancer to be included in clinical trials, cancer-related research, and analysis.

Without complete, accurate, and timely cancer data collected in cancer registries, public health officials, researchers and health care providers cannot measure cancer occurrence and trends at the local and national levels; inform and prioritize cancer education and screening programs; evaluate efficacy of prevention efforts and treatments; determine survival rates; conduct research on causes, diagnoses, and treatments; and ensure quality and equity in cancer care and plan for health services. Cancer information from all veterans must be included in these data for a true understanding of cancer in America.
If you’re interested in receiving more information on the Counting Veterans’ Cancer Act of 2023, please contact NCRA’s Public Policy and Strategy Consultant, Adam Ebbin at consulting@adamebbin.com.

As your constituent, please let me know if you’ll help support that more accurate, up-to-date cancer statistics be collected for all veterans by backing S.1994 and the identical budget amendment.

Sincerely,

(First Name) (Last Name)
(Email)