While it is widely known that African Americans (AA) are at higher risk for multiple myeloma (MM), precisely what factors create the disparity are not well understood.
Head and Neck Cancer Driven by HPV Has Distinct Genetic, Immune Variants
Most new diagnoses of oropharyngeal cancer, a type of head and neck cancer, are driven by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, with distinct genetic and immune differences in HPV-driven and non-HPV-driven head and neck cancer, according to a new study.
Man Who Stalked Female VA Physicians in California Called ‘Menace’ by Judge
A federal judge called a man “a menace to society” —the first time he said he has done that —while sentencing him to 18 years in federal prison for stalking four female physicians who worked for the VA.
Factors Linked to Severe COVID-19 Among Vaccinated, Hospitalized Veterans
Although vaccination and boosting remain the best defense against COVID-19, breakthrough infections among those vaccinated and boosted are exceedingly common.
SCT-Related Deaths Might Be Underestimated in U.S. Military
Sickle cell trait (SCT), a condition in which a person has one abnormal allele of the hemoglobin beta gene, affects an estimated 5.02% of non-Hispanic blacks, 1.08% of Hispanics and 0.1% of whites in the U.S. military.
Veterans With Service-Linked Disabilities Fare Worse After TKA
Service connection (SC) status appears to worsen outcomes for veterans receiving total knee-arthroplasty, according to a new report.
Veterans With RA Face Higher Mortality Risks Than Those Without
Although lessening over time, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the VHA have higher risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, according to a new study.
Telehealth Rollback Puts Veterans Receiving Opioid Addiction Treatment at Risk
When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted federal policy changes increasing the use of telehealth delivery, one of those was the increased delivery of buprenorphine
OIG: Protocols to Help Prevent Suicides Not Always Followed at VA
Despite suicide prevention being a top priority at VA, clinicians are failing to consistently ask patients at risk for suicide about their access to guns.
VA Study: Paxlovid Can Reduce Risk of ‘Long COVID’ by About 25%
New research from the VA determined that Paxlovid can reduce the risk of symptoms of long COVID by about 25%.
VA Frailty Index Associated With Survival in AML Patients
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a particularly aggressive blood cancer that is most successfully treated with intensive chemotherapy. As the average age at diagnosis is 68, patients diagnosed with the disease are often too frail to withstand potentially curative treatment with induction regimens.
New Models Might Better Predict Bleeding Risks in Cancer Patients With AF
Cancer patients have both an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), and those with the condition have a higher risk of cardiovascular-related death at a year.
Survival Outcomes for High Risk Large B-Cell Lymphoma at the VHA
Even with the availability of monoclonal antibody medications, VA patients with primary refractory or relapsed large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) have poor outcomes.
COVID-19 Minimally Affected Prescriptions, Hospital Admissions for Veterans with MM
As COVID-19 burst upon the world stage, medical care rapidly shifted from in-person visits to telemedicine consultations with varying results among patients with chronic conditions, cancer and other diseases that required regular and ongoing interaction with medical personnel.
Does Metformin Reduce Cancer Risk? The VA Weighs In
Over the last decade, a number of studies have examined a possible association between metformin use and reduction in the risk of cancer, with contradictory results.
VA Research Finds No Link Between First-Line ICIs, Embolism Risk
Retrospective studies suggest that receipt of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared to chemotherapy.
Dietician Mary Julius Champions VA’s Virtual Diabetes Education Program
When Mary Julius was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1974, the world was a very different place. There were only approximately 4.5 million Americans who had been diagnosed with diabetes.
VA Ceases All New EHR Activities Until At Least Next Summer
All upcoming deployments of VA’s new electronic healthcare record system will be halted until at least June 2023, the agency announced. This is in response to continuing issues with the system at its pilot site in Spokane, WA, as well as the handful of sites that followed.
Overall Prescriptions Are Low at VHA for CVD, CKD Protective Diabetes Drugs
Even though novel therapies for type 2 diabetes have been proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease progression, VHA prescription rates remain low.
Selection of Supply Chain Management Will Be Test of VA’s New Acquisition Framework to Assure Agency Gets Value for Its Money
As VA moves forward with its long-delayed search for a supply chain management system, the department plans to use the process as a de-facto trial of its new acquisitions’ framework–a system designed to ensure the department uses its money effectively when it comes to major projects.
Healthcare Providers Urged to Increase Firearm Safety Counseling With Veterans
Most, 70%, of suicides among U.S. veterans are due to firearm injury. Yet, according to a new study, not enough veterans are taking advantage of the opportunity to discuss firearm safety with their healthcare providers.
GAO: VA Hasn’t Addressed Core Issues in Standardized Purchasing
For the past decade, VA has struggled to implement a standardized framework for how it purchases goods and services.
Republican Legislators Express Strong Opposition to VA Offering Abortion Services
VA officials believe that the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June and the subsequent enforcement of abortion bans in several states creates a clear danger to the health of women veterans.
New Tool Estimates Age-Specific Prostate Cancer Risk
A multi-ancestry polygenic risk score (PRS) that stratifies prostate cancer risk across populations has been developed. In a recent study, the developers validated the performance of the PRS in the multi-ancestry Million Veteran Program and additional independent studies.
Survival Rates Better for Prostate Cancer With Radical Prostatectomy
Clinicians haven’t had information on the optimal upfront treatment modality for patients with nonmetastatic Gleason Score 9 and 10 prostate cancer (GS 9-10 PCa).
Second Cancer More Common With Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer
When men are diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, they are often faced with a difficult decision.
PTSD Appears to Accelerate Multiple Sclerosis Progression for Veterans
An unfortunate confluence of events puts a significant number of veterans at higher risk of both multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTSD). Agent Orange and other exposures make multiple sclerosis (MS) a presumptive condition for those who have served, while combat experience, higher rates of sexual assault and other factors increase the likelihood of PTSD among veterans.
DHA: Chlamydia Is the Most Common Sexually Transmitted Infection Among Active Duty U.S. Military Servicemembers
Chlamydia is the U.S. military’s most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) among active duty servicemembers, according to 2021 and 2022 reports on STIs by the Defense Health Agency’s Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division.
Columbus, OH, VAMC Is Latest Facility to Face Problems With New EHR
Staff at the Columbus, OH, VAMC, the last VA facility where the department’s new electronic health record system was installed, are experiencing many of the same kinds of problems that occurred in Spokane, WA, where the EHR was piloted.
New Center at NYU Will Focus on How Social Factors Might Affect Veterans Using Telehealth for Cancer
As part of a larger initiative, a center will be established at New York University to determine how social factors might affect the delivery of telehealth for cancer care.
