OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Many veterans who served their country selflessly face a dilemma years later after exposure to carcinogenic toxins. They served in environments detrimental to their health and are only now beginning to experience the consequences.
“The main focus for Vet Resource Center in Marion County right now is the urgency to get our veterans from the Gulf War and War on Terror, veterans who were boots on the ground, 1991-92, also the Gulf War veterans who were in the sand pit from 2001 to 2022,” said Bob Levenson, Vet Resources Center chairman. “The cancer rates are absolutely horrific for our men and women who served during that period of time.”
In 2015, the Department of Defense found that over 500,000 active-duty men and women had cancer. Of those, over 100,000 have died, and another 120,000 died under what they call “unknown circumstances,” said Levenson.
“The burn pits were a tremendous factor in those deaths as well as many other causes,” said Levenson. “If you go on our website Vetresourcecenter.com, we show not only the PACT Act but all the cancers now considered presumptive. A veteran that has any one of those, immediately is going to be considered to be 100% under the VA and will certainly meet treatment, if they’re diagnosed.”
Many veterans exposed to toxins may have cancer but remain unaware until symptoms appear, sometimes too late.
“The purpose of our Galleri cancer screening and detection is to identify these cancers,” said Levenson.
“The Galleri test detects 51-plus cancers. The test is a liquid biopsy, if you will; two vials of blood that goes through a logarithm by GRAIL, and tests over 2 million bits of information, and if there’s a positive diagnosis, we have in place resources for the veterans to get further diagnosis and also treatment whether they have insurance or whether they don’t. We’ve been extremely comprehensive in taking it right from the beginning straight through.”
The Vet Resource Center has received community support, including grants from the Marion County Hospital District and the Marion Board of County Commissioners.
|IT’S YOUR BUSINESS: The latest local economic news, industry trends, and insights into businesses shaping the future of Ocala & Marion County
“We don’t have any paid employees.,” said Levenson. “Everybody’s a volunteer. We are actively going to the main employers of Marion County and Chairman Kathy Bryant and the Board of County Commissioners are sending out a letter to primary employers in Marion County. We want to give them this free test, not only to save their lives, but for these companies to save employees that are valued in their companies. Very shortly, we’ll be able to do this on a mobile basis, go out to their locations and set up and do the testing on site, or do it at Veterans Helping Veterans.”
Veterans Helping Veterans USA focuses on educating and alerting veterans exposed to hazardous materials, which may result in cancer years later, said Stephen Petty, Veterans Helping Veterans USA chief executive officer.
“They’re all aware that they were exposed to the toxins because we talk to veterans all the time,” said Petty. “They knew it wasn’t good for them, but they didn’t know how bad they really were being exposed.”
Veterans Helping Veterans USA aims to identify Gulf War and Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
“It’s just that the Gulf War veterans think it’s going to be later,” said Petty. “So, what we’re trying to do is to get this test out there, which tests for more than 50 different types of cancers. It tests very accurately for the aggressive cancers.”
Funding remains a challenge.
“It will test for pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, throat cancer, stomach cancer – those kinds of cancers that really have no other early warning detection tests at all,” said Petty, adding that they’re fortunate that Marion County provided a $50,000 HUD grant, and the Marion County Hospital District gave $300,000. He said that they negotiated a discount with GRAIL, reducing test costs from $949 to $649.
Veterans in Tampa and Ocala can get screened, and grant funds support studies on those who served in Vietnam and the Gulf War.
Petty said that they’re limiting grant-funded tests to those who were boots on the ground because no other studies compare exposure directly. “Hopefully, with that we’ll be able to show the VA and our government that this is something that they need to be aware of and make available to all of our veterans.”
Those concerned about exposure have options.
“Anyone who wants the test, can purchase it for $949 and go online to GRAIL.com or Galleri.com and purchase it on a retail basis,” said Petty. “The first question is, are you over 50, but all you really need to say is, ‘I feel that I have been exposed to toxins,’ and that’s reason enough for them to write the prescription for you to be able to have the test.”
The test is in its final approval phase with the FDA, which would allow veterans to access it through Medicare and insurance, said Petty.
“Right now, any veteran, from Florida or in the United States can go to one of eight VA hospitals, and participate in what is called the Reflection Study, which is a study that they’re using with this specific test to get to veterans.,” said Petty. “Any veteran 22 years or older, who is willing to sign a release and is in the VA system, can have this test for free.”
In Marion County, grants cover testing for local veterans, said Petty.
“Go to a website [called] orios.org. or you can go to vetresourcenter.com, and we have a link there to go over to the registry. Simply put in your email address, your phone number, where you were stationed, and it will ask if you were boots on the ground,” Petty explained.
First responders, including firefighters, EMTs, and their spouses, are also eligible for discounted testing.
“Those are all eligible for the $649 price,” said Petty. “They have to pay for it, but it’s a $600 discount.”
The effort to provide early cancer detection continues, ensuring those who served their country receive the care they deserve.