VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Daniel Lee discusses VA Health Care System's patient-facing costs for advanced prostate cancer treatment, highlighting improved access via the Cleland-Dole Act, National Tele-Oncology Program, and Precision Oncology Program. Despite lower medication co-pays and annual cost caps, challenges remain, including indirect costs like travel expenses and cardiovascular risks. Lee emphasizes the need for understanding these indirect costs through patient conversations and standardized assessment tools, suggesting innovative solutions like home administration of treatments to reduce the burden on veterans.

The Biden Administration invoked the Defense Production Act to expedite the rebuilding of a North Carolina plant, which produces 60% of the U.S.'s IV fluids, after it was damaged by Hurricane Helene. The closure has led to a nationwide shortage, prompting hospitals to postpone surgeries. Baxter International Inc. is working to resume production by year-end, while the FDA allows importation of IV fluids from other plants. The situation underscores the fragility of the U.S. medical supply chain.

Research!America announces 2025 Advocacy Awards recipients, recognizing leaders advancing medical and health research. Awards presented at National Academy of Sciences event on March 12, 2025.

GLP-1 receptor agonists, particularly semaglutide, may lower the risk of cirrhosis and complications in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study found a 14% lower risk of cirrhosis and 22% lower risk of complications in GLP-1 users compared to those on DPP-4 inhibitors. Semaglutide showed the most significant reduction in risk, though no significant difference was found in patients already with cirrhosis.

Samah Fodeh-Jarad received two grants to enhance health care for underrepresented populations using AI, focusing on patient-centered outcomes in mental health and cancer care. The studies involve national collaborations and aim to develop AI tools like PVminer and EPPCminer to analyze patient concerns and preferences, improving patient-provider communication and health outcomes.

Speakers at the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer highlighted the need for health systems to address multilevel factors impeding lung cancer screening access. Harry de Koning discussed optimal recruitment strategies, finding that paper mailings were most effective for low socioeconomic status individuals. Nichole Tanner presented on the Veterans Health Administration's centralized screening approach, emphasizing the importance of a hub and spoke model. Nicole Rankin focused on Australia's preparation for national screening in 2025, advocating for tailored strategies to address health disparities. Raymond Osarogiagbon addressed geographic, socioeconomic, and racial disparities, suggesting a framework starting at the patient level and extending to social policy, with a focus on data-driven decision-making.

Lawrence Phillips, a non-smoker and lifelong runner, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008. After initial surgery and follow-up treatments, including chemotherapy and targeted therapy for his EGFR mutation, Phillips remains cancer-free at 82, continuing to work and exercise.

The VA Health Care System developed a phase II/III RCT for oligometastatic prostate cancer, addressing challenges in study development/conduct and adapting the trial to include de novo OMPC patients and up to 10 metastases.