Special Feature:

Special Information for Active Duty Military and Veterans

Lung Cancer Alliance continues to advocate for improved healthcare and treatment for veterans and active duty military personnel who are at elevated risk for lung cancer.  LCA has taken an active role in representing American servicemen and women and has established strong partnerships with key veterans service organizations.

For specific risk lung cancer facts and risk factors for active duty and veterans, click here.

LCA Partners with Veterans Service Organizations

For the past three years, LCA has worked with key veterans service organizations (VSO) - Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, Paralyzed Veterans of America and Disabled American Veterans - on the Independent Budget, their annual budget requests to the VA and Congress.  LCA's recommendations on a lung cancer screening research program specifically for veterans have been included again in the newest IB for fiscal year 2010.  To learn more about LCA and the IB, click here.

LCA and Vietnam Veterans of America

LCA was an original member of the Veterans Health Council (VHC), a program of Vietnam Veterans of America and helped recruit other organizations into a diverse coalition of advocacy organizations, health professionals, and business and healthcare firms.  The goal is to improve health care for veterans by, among other things, informing veterans and their families about health issues and benefits and educating health care communities abou the unique health risks associated with military service. For more information on the Veterans Health Council, specific risk factors, and for information on learning more about applying for service-related disability benefits, click here.  

LCA and the Department of Defense

One of LCA's top priorities was realized in 2008 when $20 million was included in the DOD's funding to start up a new Lung Cancer Research Program on early detection and disease management for military men an women at high risk for lung cancer.  LCA is now working with DOD to get the new program off the ground.  To learn more about the DOD Lung Cancer Research Program, click here.

New Mexico VA New Screening Program

LCA congratulates the New Mexico State Legislature for its support of a pilot program to screen New Mexico veterans for early-stage lung cancer.  Biomoda, Inc., an Albuquerque medical diagnostics company, recently received approval from an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) to begin the pilot phase of a clinical trial of its cytology-based screening technology for early detection of lung cancer.  The company is currently recruiting 200 to 300 New Mexico veteran volunteers who will provide a deep-lung sputum sample to be tested with their patented application that makes cancer cells  fluoresce red under ultraviolet light. For more information on Biomeda and the New Mexico VA Screening Program, click here.

LCA's Board of Directors

In 2008, Admiral T. Joseph Lopez (USN, retired), one of two officers in Navy History to rise to the rank of four stars after direct commissioning from enlisted service, joined LCA's Board of Directors.  Admiral Lopez was a close friend and associate of LCA's former Board Chairman, Rear Admiral Philip J. Coady.