ZERO Prostate Cancer Veterans

Statistics show that about 1 in 5 Veterans will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, an incidence rate that is twice that of the general population. Learn more about the support ZERO can provide you in your cancer journey. 

White elderly man with a veteran's hat

ZERO has a wide array of services that men can use to get support in their prostate cancer journey:

  • ZERO360 is a free, comprehensive patient support service to help patients and their families. Through ZERO360, our team of experienced case managers will help you navigate your prostate cancer journey by helping you with insurance coverage, finding sources of financial aid, and resolving billing issues.
  • The ZERO MENtor Program provides peer-to-peer support for men living with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can be an overwhelming experience, so we will match you with our MENtors, who are all current prostate cancer patients and survivors and eager to help you through your prostate cancer journey. As a Veteran, we will match you with a Veteran MENtor with a similar background, someone who is best-positioned to understand your experience.
  • Us TOO Support Groups provide people impacted by prostate cancer an opportunity to be with others who may have similar experiences and concerns. Joining a local support group can help men and their families cope with the challenges prostate cancer brings.

Be sure to download Prostate Cancer 101 – Veterans Edition to learn more about prostate cancer and the VA Health System.

An Urgent Need

There are some alarming numbers related to Veterans and prostate cancer that require immediate action as well as long-term planning to ensure that Veterans get the support they need.

  • Nearly 489,000 prostate cancer patients are in the VA health system. 16,000 of these patients have metastatic prostate cancer.
  • 9 million Veterans receive healthcare from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
  • Prostate cancer rates in the military were twice those in the general population.
  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among U.S. Veterans.
  • The burden of prostate cancer among Veterans is substantial with over 200,000 survivors and 12,000 new diagnoses annually.
  • 1 in 8 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. For Veterans, that risk increases to 1 in 5.


 

What ZERO is Doing to Solve this Crisis

To help raise awareness around the correlation between military service and prostate cancer, and to help bring resources to Vets actively fighting prostate cancer, ZERO has been on the front lines pushing for policies and initiatives that would positively impact the Veteran community, such as the Veterans’ Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act. Have an idea for an initiative you’d like to see? Email Ali Manson, VP of Government Relations and Advocacy, at ali@zerocancer.org.

The ZERO Prostate Cancer Veterans Initiative has three key goals:

  • Create a standardized clinical pathway for prostate cancer care within the VHA System
  • Provide prostate cancer educational materials and research support for Veterans, physicians, and active-duty military
  • Support the care and funding of Veterans through legislative efforts

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