On June 18, 2025, Representative Nick LaLota of Suffolk County, a Navy Veteran and member of the Military Construction & Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, held an event in Rocky Point, New York. Joined by Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner, Vietnam Veteran Gerald Wiggins, and members of local veterans organizations, LaLota called for expanded VA care for Vietnam Veterans with bile duct cancer linked to military service.
The event came after the House passed LaLota’s bipartisan Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act on April 7, 2025. This legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to study the connection between liver fluke exposure during the Vietnam War and bile duct cancer among Vietnam Veterans compared to other theaters. The bill passed unanimously with a vote of 411–0.
LaLota emphasized the urgency of the issue: “The facts are clear: Vietnam War veterans who served in-theater are 30% more likely to develop bile duct cancer than those who served elsewhere. Yet the VA still refuses to acknowledge the connection. That must change.” He added that despite previous efforts, it is now time for the Senate and VA to act.
Gerald Wiggins shared his personal experiences with delayed diagnosis and limited treatment options for his condition. He stated: “The disease lasts for 30, 40, 50 years… They say, ‘Well, the Vietnam Veterans are alcoholics and drug addicts…’ There are 800,000 Veterans in New York State… If you push this bill through, you’re a hero.”
The background of this issue includes a previous introduction of the bill by LaLota during the 118th Congress where it passed in September 2024 but did not advance in the Senate. The legislation aims to ensure recognition and care for affected Vietnam Veterans.
A smaller study conducted in 2018 at Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center highlighted an urgent need for larger-scale research and standardized treatment protocols. Following this study, a mortality study suggested a link between parasitic infections from contaminated freshwater fish during service and increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma among these veterans.
Despite evidence presented at a Legislative Hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health indicating a potential connection between service conditions and cholangiocarcinoma risk, further research has not been supported by VHA or designated as service-connected by VA.
LaLota has urged Secretary Doug Collins to recognize cholangiocarcinoma as presumptive for Vietnam-era Veterans. Additionally, he succeeded in including language in related legislative reports directing VA to review existing evidence and update claims adjudication guidance if necessary.
