H.R. 586: Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act

This bill, known as the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, aims to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on cholangiocarcinoma, a type of cancer, specifically in veterans who served in the Vietnam theater during the Vietnam War. The main components of the bill can be summarized as follows:

Study on Cholangiocarcinoma Prevalence

The bill mandates that within 120 days of its enactment, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), must begin an epidemiological study. This study will focus on:

• Determining the incidence rate of cholangiocarcinoma among Vietnam-era veterans compared to the general U.S. population from the start of the Vietnam era until the bill's enactment date.
• Analyzing the percentage of cases of cholangiocarcinoma in both groups while considering various demographic factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, and geographic location at the time of diagnosis.

Reporting Requirements

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to submit an initial report to Congress within one year of completing the study. This report will include:

• The findings from the study regarding the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma.
• Recommendations for any necessary administrative or legislative actions to address issues identified in the study.

Additionally, the Secretary must provide periodic follow-up reports to Congress to update the information presented in the initial report and any new findings related to cholangiocarcinoma in Vietnam-era veterans.

Tracking Cholangiocarcinoma Cases

The bill also requires the Secretary to continuously track the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma in veterans who served in the Vietnam era through the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry. This ongoing tracking will be included in the follow-up reports to Congress.

Definitions

To clarify the terms used in the bill:

• The "Vietnam era" refers to the period defined in section 101 of title 38 of the United States Code.
• "Covered veterans of the Vietnam era" are those who specifically served in the Vietnam theater during this time.

Relevant Companies

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