Hazra Aditi, Goldstein Karen M, Waltz Susan E, Chiba Akiko, Colonna Sarah V, Kelley Michael J, Moss Haley A, Zullig Leah L
Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center (MAVERIC), Division of Population Health and Data Science, Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Mil Med. 2025 Jan 16;190(1-2):15-18. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usae345.
Women are the largest growing population of Veterans within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System. Among women Veterans, breast cancer is the most common malignancy (30% of all cancers), yet little is known about the unique needs of women Veterans with cancer and how to provide them with high quality care. The VA health care system has initiated multiple system-wide systemic efforts, including launching the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer System of Excellence (BGSOE) to address this knowledge gap. This report summarizes the outcomes of the inaugural 2023 VA Women's Cancer Research Conference, which assembled 37 multidisciplinary clinicians, scientists, the VA and civilian partners with a shared goal of advancing VA breast cancer research. Conference objectives were to build a collective vision for improving: (1) referral patterns for breast cancer treatment and patient-level outcomes and (2) molecular and genetic testing patterns across the breast cancer continuum among women Veterans. The meeting hosted 15 speakers at the Houston VA Medical Center. Future research priorities for women Veterans with cancer were identified from discussions and a post-conference survey. We then administered a 13-question post-conference survey to conference attendees. Respondents ranked the research priorities. The survey results show that the cross-cutting cancer research priorities designed to transform cancer care for women Veterans at the VA fit into 5 broad areas of study, including (1) care quality for treatment, (2) improving treatment, (3) care quality of molecular and genetic testing, (4) risk reduction through risk assessment and germline genetic testing, and (5) establishing strategic partnerships. Our data elucidate areas for further investigation to improve the delivery of cancer care.
在美国退伍军人事务部（VA）医疗保健系统中，女性退伍军人的数量增长最为显著。在女性退伍军人中，乳腺癌是最常见的恶性肿瘤（占所有癌症的30%），然而，对于患有癌症的女性退伍军人的独特需求以及如何为她们提供高质量护理，我们知之甚少。VA医疗保健系统已经启动了多项全系统范围的系统性努力，包括推出乳腺与妇科癌症卓越系统（BGSOE）来填补这一知识空白。本报告总结了2023年首届VA女性癌症研究会议的成果，该会议汇聚了37名多学科临床医生、科学家、VA及民间合作伙伴，他们有着推进VA乳腺癌研究的共同目标。会议目标是为改善以下方面建立共同愿景：（1）乳腺癌治疗的转诊模式和患者层面的结果，以及（2）女性退伍军人整个乳腺癌连续过程中的分子和基因检测模式。会议在休斯顿VA医疗中心举办，有15位演讲者。通过讨论和会后调查确定了患有癌症的女性退伍军人未来的研究重点。然后，我们对会议参与者进行了一项包含13个问题的会后调查。受访者对研究重点进行了排序。调查结果表明，旨在改变VA为女性退伍军人提供癌症护理方式的跨领域癌症研究重点可分为5个广泛的研究领域，包括（1）治疗的护理质量，（2）改善治疗，（3）分子和基因检测的护理质量，（4）通过风险评估和种系基因检测降低风险，以及（5）建立战略伙伴关系。我们的数据阐明了有待进一步研究以改善癌症护理提供的领域。
