Suffolk Reporter

Rep. Nick LaLota's legislative effort to expand healthcare access for Vietnam Veterans has achieved a milestone with the passage of the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act in the House of Representatives. Partnered by Rep. Pat Ryan, the bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to investigate the prevalence of bile duct cancer in Vietnam Veterans, assessing a potential link to liver fluke exposure during the war.

Rep. LaLota expressed his sentiments saying, "This week, the House took bipartisan action to do what the VA has refused to for more than six years—acknowledge the suffering of Vietnam Veterans exposed to liver fluke in Southeast Asia. My bill, the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, passed with broad support because both sides agree: these heroes deserve answers, not more delay," adding, "Too many have already died waiting. It’s past time we matched our words with action and gave these Veterans the care and recognition they’ve earned."

This marks a second attempt as LaLota previously introduced the bill in the 118th Congress where it passed the House but did not progress in the Senate.

The backdrop to this legislative push includes a 2018 Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center study in New York, which highlighted the issue using a 50-veteran sample size. Findings pointed to the necessity for broader research, leading the VA to undertake the Vietnam Era Veterans Mortality Study. This research compared mortality rates from cholangiocarcinoma between Vietnam-deployed veterans and others, suggesting a connection between parasitic liver fluke infections from freshwater fish and an increased risk of this cancer.

The Veterans Health Administration, however, remains unsupportive of further exploration of this link. This stance drew concern, especially as the VA has not recognized cholangiocarcinoma as a condition related to service, despite indications from earlier studies.

LaLota's legislation aims to bridge this research gap by mandating the VA, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to embark on a detailed study of liver fluke infections. The intended outcome is to secure appropriate care and acknowledgment for affected veterans.

To learn more about the full text of the legislation or to view LaLota’s remarks, further details are available online.