Cancer and Mental Health Nexus Letters

According to va.gov, "Nearly 50,000 cases of cancer are reported annually in the VA Central Cancer Registry [...] the three most frequently diagnosed cancers in the VA health care system were prostate, lung/bronchus, and colon/rectum cancer."

When a veteran is receiving treatment for a cancer that was caused by military service, a temporary 100% rating is provided. Once the cancer is in remission, the rating drops to 0%. However, most cancers and the treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, transplant, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and cryoablation, etc. ) can cause lasting physical effects including: 

• impotence
• sexual dysfunction
• urinary incontinence
• neuropathy
• osteoporosis
• hearing loss
• intestinal problems
• lymphedema
• memory problems
• fatigue
• permanent hair loss
• difficulty with walking
• chronic pain
• painful or disfiguring scars
• gynecomastia (overdevelopment or enlargement of the breast tissue in men)
• hirsutism (excessive growth of dark or coarse hair in a male-like pattern — face, chest and back in women) 
• etc.

Very frequently, veterans overlook the psychological toll that a cancer diagnosis brings. Many cancer survivors are left with permanent worries about a cancer recurrence, depression related to changes to their physical appearance or needs to become more dependent on others. Anxiety and depression are the most frequent psychological findings in cancer patients. We are able to provide Independent Medical Examinations for mental health conditions (i.e. depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc.) that develop secondary to cancer/cancer treatment. We are also able to provide nexus letters for residuals that often develop secondary to cancer/cancer treatment.