Utilization of the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry to evaluate lung cancer outcomes.

Abstract

Lung cancer is one of the most common and difficult to treat cancers. Veterans are disproportionately affected by lung cancer, as approximately 20% of all cancers diagnosed within the Veteran Affairs health system are lung cancers. Many Veterans have extensive comorbidities, and thus they are often excluded from clinical trials based on this and other eligibility criteria. Thus, while clinical trials are the gold standard to guide treatment decisions, many Veterans clinical situations will not align with clinical trial criteria. The Department of Veterans Affairs has established a Central Cancer Registry to aid in evaluation of cancer outcomes and other studies, and data in the registry date back to 1995. This has provided a rich source of data for outcome-based and other research. Here, we highlight studies that utilized the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry to analyze lung cancer outcomes in Veterans treated within the Veterans Affairs health system.