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For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
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VA encourages mammograms to detect cancer
Question: Does the VA do anything to promote this type of cancer awareness during October as National Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Answer: The VA continues conducting research into breast cancer to discover potential causes and to develop better diagnostics and treatments for this disease. Mammograms every year for women aged 40-70, especially for high-risk women who have had a first-degree relative diagnosed with breast cancer, are encouraged to help detect breast cancer at the earliest and most treatable stages. However, a VA study urges discreet use of mammograms for women older than 70, as the radiation exposure from mammograms may outweigh the potential benefits for elderly women in very poor health.
Q: I heard that the VA and ABC Radio Networks have partnered on a VA outreach program. Can you explain?
A: The program include a public-service campaign, a special global broadcast saluting veterans and participation in key VA events. ABC Radio Networks and "American Country Countdown with Bob Kingsley" will air a series of public-service announcements detailing benefits available to veterans. On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, "Bob Kingsley Salutes America's Veterans" will be broadcast on the ABC Radio Networks. The agreement helps inform veterans of their entitlements.
If you have questions about your benefits as a veteran, call Fred Ballard at the Veterans Affairs at 433-0049 or visit the VA Web site at
www.va.gov/hawaii or the Star-Bulletin at 529-4747.
Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for the Star-Bulletin, can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at
gkakesako@starbulletin.com.