VFW Cites Women Vets’ Breast Cancer Risks

The Veterans of Foreign Wars has called for government agencies to evaluate the risks of developing breast cancer that military women face due to environmental factors unique to military service. VFW’s Resolution 651 of Aug. 2006 urges the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense and other federal agencies to develop a comprehensive study to determine if breast cancer is increasing at a faster rate for current or retired military women than the population at large. “With one out of every nine women being diagnosed with breast cancer, and 40,000 women unfortunately dying every year, the VFW worries that military personnel may be subjected to higher risks because of their exposure to possibly ‘toxic’ environments the military must operate in as part of being a proficient fighting force,” said VFW official John McNeill.