Wyden Presses VA to Reinstate Contract Helping Veterans with Cancer Care in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska
Senator: “Cancelling this contract is mindless and cruel in equal measure for America’s veterans who deserve far better in return for their service to our country.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today pressed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reverse its recent decision unilaterally ending a contract for the Cancer Registry Services to provide staffing and resources essential to maintain and operate VA’s Cancer Registry database services in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.
“This database is key to spotting trends across cancer patients, and allows our medical community to develop better guidelines to diagnose, treat, and beat cancer,” Wyden wrote in his letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Cancelling this contract is mindless and cruel in equal measure for America’s veterans who deserve far better in return for their service to our country. The VA must use every tool at its disposal to support our veterans battling cancer, and I call on the VA to reinstate this contract immediately.”
Wyden’s letter following up on concerns he raised in February about the VA recklessly ending hundreds of contracts notes that cancer registries help capture the complete history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status for cancer patients across the United States.
“Approximately two million cases of cancer are likely to be diagnosed in the United States this year alone, and our veterans experience certain types of cancer at higher rates than the general population due to toxic exposures in military service,” Wyden wrote. “In fact, more than 16% of new cancer diagnoses in veterans are rare cancers, and more than 450,000 veterans are receiving cancer care at a VA hospital or facility.”
The senator added that the Cancer Registry Services contract was part of Congress’ direction to the VA to increase cancer reporting and collaboration with states.
“The contractor you have terminated so rashly was responsible for the monthly review of disease and pathology reports, radiology reports, treatment logs, and other computerized methods to identify reportable cancer cases,” Wyden wrote. “By terminating this contract, you have prevented the VA cancer registry from reporting accurate and timely data that would help cancer surveillance and shape our medical community’s response to veterans battling cancer. Interruptions in data collection and reporting will delay our medical community’s ability to recognize emerging cancer trends and treatment gaps, which will worsen outcomes for veterans and Americans battling cancer nationwide.
The entire letter is here.
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