Posted on Jan 19, 2016
Veteran Blood Bank May Play Key Role in Cancer 'Moon Shot'
1.95K
3
3
1
1
0
Veterans are likely to play a significant part in what has been called "the Moon shot" in cancer research -- the plan announced by President Barack Obama last week for a cancer fight effort to equal the country's determination to put a man on the moon during the 1960s.
Fittingly, the veterans' role in the cancer Moon shot, as well as in scores of other research projects into illnesses that impact vets and non-vets alike, will be doing something they were prepared to do back in their active duty days: shed some blood.
"When they realize that this could help other veterans most of them volunteer right away" when asked, VA Secretary Bob McDonald said during a visit to the VA Medical Center in Boston on Friday, when he toured the lab and growing biorepository.
The VA project, called the Million Veterans Program, predates the cancer Moon shot by six years. Its goal is to collect blood samples -- and with it the DNA -- of at least a million veterans, and use it to research illnesses, including at the genetic level.
Fittingly, the veterans' role in the cancer Moon shot, as well as in scores of other research projects into illnesses that impact vets and non-vets alike, will be doing something they were prepared to do back in their active duty days: shed some blood.
"When they realize that this could help other veterans most of them volunteer right away" when asked, VA Secretary Bob McDonald said during a visit to the VA Medical Center in Boston on Friday, when he toured the lab and growing biorepository.
The VA project, called the Million Veterans Program, predates the cancer Moon shot by six years. Its goal is to collect blood samples -- and with it the DNA -- of at least a million veterans, and use it to research illnesses, including at the genetic level.
Veteran Blood Bank May Play Key Role in Cancer 'Moon Shot'
Posted from military.comPosted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Cancer
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Cancer
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 3
1
1
0
One day I hope the hundreds of thousand of us who were stationed in Germany in the 1980s can donate blood again COL Mikel J. Burroughs. We are still prohibited because of possible exposure to bovine-spongiform [human form is Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease] tainted beef in the mess halls.
When I spoke with the American Red Cross last year the priority to find a way to determine antibodies and eventually treat Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD or nvCJD) was significantly lower than the process to identify and treat HIV.
When I spoke with the American Red Cross last year the priority to find a way to determine antibodies and eventually treat Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD or nvCJD) was significantly lower than the process to identify and treat HIV.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
The only concern I have is the possibilities of our blood being tainted. I know when I first retired I didn't give blood because of me being deployed over to Iraq.
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google