In fiscal year 2025, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs received $407.5 million in congressional funding to address various cancers with relevance to military health and potential impact to mission readiness, including melanoma, breast, ovarian, prostate and rare cancers, and an additional 22 cancer-specific topic areas.
The CDMRP funds basic, translational and clinical research to improve cancer screening and detection for everyone. This research also supports military readiness of Warfighters living with cancer diagnosis by enabling timely treatment, reducing disease- and treatment-related activity restrictions, and increasing the likelihood of a full return to duty.
In 2023, medical professionals within the Military Health System saw 7,745 active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces for more than 50,500 cancer-related appointments or visits. According to a 2019 report, the financial impact of cancer treatment costs in the MHS likely exceeds the most recent available estimate from 2002 of more than $1 billion annually. Each year, Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers diagnose over 43,000 Veterans with cancer and provide cancer care to over 450,000 Veterans at a VA hospital or clinic.
Service Members may experience unavoidable environmental or occupational exposures to radiation, chemicals and pollutants that increase cancer risk. In 2025, the VA acknowledged esophageal, ovarian and prostate cancers, among others, as presumptive cancers related to burn pit exposure.
Improving Early Detection of Esophageal Cancer
Most patients with esophageal cancer receive their diagnoses at a late stage with poor prognosis. Untreated gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD or chronic heartburn, can lead to Barrett’s esophagus, an alteration in the lining of the esophagus, which increases the risk for esophageal cancer. Upper endoscopy, a procedure used to diagnose Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer, collects tissue samples through a tube-like instrument inserted through the mouth or nose. Endoscopy requires general anesthesia and scheduling with a specialist to perform the procedure and may cause discomfort for patients.
In fiscal year 2020, the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program funded an Impact Award, led by Katarina Greer, M.D., at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, to test a non-endoscopic sampling device, EsoCheck, and a DNA-based screening assay, EsoGuard, in Veterans who presented with risk factors for Barrett’s esophagus, including obesity and history of smoking. EsoCheck is a vitamin-sized device attached to a thin retrieval cord. Once swallowed by the patient, EsoCheck inflates to collect samples from the esophagus, then deflates for retrieval with the collected sample, all within five minutes at a typical doctor’s office visit. Technicians then perform the EsoGuard screening assay and provide results, often within three weeks.
Greer and her team found EsoCheck and EsoGuard accurately diagnosed Barrett’s esophagus, as confirmed by endoscopy, and also received positive feedback from patients. Based on these findings, the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program funded another Impact Award in fiscal year 2023 supporting continued clinical evaluation of EsoCheck and EsoGuard. The pilot clinical trial, led by Greer, will evaluate EsoCheck and EsoGuard screening in lower risk populations receiving care within the VA, including those with no history of GERD or Barrett’s esophagus.
If successful, findings from this trial will validate a minimally-invasive screening method for Barrett’s esophagus and enable earlier detection for esophageal cancer.
A Portable Imaging Device for Early Ovarian Cancer Detection
More than 70 percent of ovarian cancer diagnoses occur after the cancer spreads to regions outside the ovary. At early stages of ovarian cancer, patients may experience no symptoms or nonspecific symptoms, and small tumors on the ovary remain undetectable by routine pelvic exams or ultrasound imaging, making diagnosis difficult.
In fiscal year 2017, the Ovarian Cancer Research Program funded a Clinical Development Award, led by Jennifer Barton, Ph.D., at the University of Arizona, to conduct a pilot clinical trial evaluating a new device, called a falloposcope or a fallopian tube endoscope, for advanced imaging of the fallopian tubes and adjacent ovary surface, where ovarian cancer often starts.
The falloposcope is a small hand-held imaging device connected to a portable computer workstation, allowing medical professionals to examine fallopian tube and ovary tissue in real-time and move the system between examination rooms, as needed. Falloposcopy does not require surgical incision or general anesthesia, making the procedure minimally invasive under local anesthesia.
In the pilot clinical trial, Barton and her team tested the falloposcope in women undergoing fallopian tube removal for complications other than cancer diagnosis. The device captured clear images of the entire length of fallopian tubes and ovaries without causing tissue damage.
Taking into account iterative feedback from surgeons and clinical staff as they performed falloposcopy on patients, the team refined the prototype to meet the requirements of an operating room environment, improve ease of use and portability, and enhance image quality.
With additional clinical testing, the falloposcope, now patented, could become a routine screening tool for improved detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous cells, potentially saving lives through earlier interventions for ovarian cancer.
Improving Detection and Diagnostic Performance in Prostate Cancer
Up to 40 percent of patients with prostate cancer experience recurrence, a return of cancer after initial treatment.
One method of screening for prostate cancer recurrence measures levels of prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by the prostate gland, in blood. For patients with prostate cancer who complete an initial treatment regimen, increasing PSA levels can signal cancer recurrence. Subsequent imaging aims to determine whether the recurrence remains localized to the prostate or spread to other sites in the body for appropriate treatment planning. However, blood PSA levels can increase months-to-years before conventional imaging can detect small tumors, complicating disease management.
In fiscal year 2015, the Prostate Cancer Research Program funded an Impact Award, led by Andrei Iagaru, Ph.D., at Stanford University, to conduct a phase 2/3 clinical trial evaluating a new imaging method, 68Ga-RM2 PET-MRI, in 100 men living with recurring prostate cancer.
The team’s imaging approach combines magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, with positron emission tomography, or PET, using a radioactive label specific for gastrin releasing peptide receptor, a protein found in high levels in several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. The 68Ga-RM2 radiolabel binds to prostate cancer cells, allowing clinicians to identify the location of cancerous tissue in the PET-MRI scans.
Compared to MRI alone, 68Ga-RM2 PET-MRI identified recurrence in 72 percent more patients and located 49 percent more tumors overall.
The results of this study demonstrate the potential for targeted imaging for earlier diagnosis of recurrent prostate cancer, which could lead to improved disease management and better patient survival.
Ensuring Impacts for Cancer Patients
The CDMRP cancer research programs maintain patient-centric focuses, tailoring their funding opportunities to address research of greatest need and strongest impact for each specific patient community, including Service Members and Veterans.
“In every cancer breakthrough and triumph, I see echoes of the countless lives touched by the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program,” U.S. Army Veteran Brandi Benson, fiscal year 2024 PRCRP Programmatic Panel member, said. “It’s a reminder of the incredible impact we can make when we come together with a shared sense of purpose. With every beat of my heart, I am honored to be a part of this extraordinary journey, where hope shines brightest in the face of adversity, and miracles happen.”
For more information about the Ovarian Cancer Research Program, visit https://cdmrp.health.mil/ocrp/default.
For more information about the Prostate Cancer Research Program, visit https://cdmrp.health.mil/pcrp/default.
For more information about the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program, visit https://cdmrp.health.mil/prcrp/default.
| Date Taken: | 09.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.24.2025 09:14 |
| Story ID: | 549132 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
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