<p>Dear U.S. Congress,</p><p>More than 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year, and recent research suggests that military service members are disproportionately affected. In fact, more women have been evacuated from the theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan for breast cancer-related causes than any other reason. While some of this startling increase may be attributed to more sophisticated methods of detection as well as more frequent examinations, this does not account for the staggering difference in our veterans.</p><p>Unfortunately, since the Department of Veterans Affairs currently fails to recognize breast cancer as a service-related disability, veterans remain ineligible for the health coverage they earned through their service. When Rep. Boswell introduced the Armed Forces Breast Cancer Research Act (H.R. 4869) to the House of Representatives in May, he took an important and necessary step towards correcting this disparity. The time has come for you and your congressional colleagues to continue the work of Boswell and make this bill into law.</p><p>The widely cited 2009 research from Walter Reed Medical Center suggests soldiers—men and women alike—suffer from "significantly higher" rates (as high as 40%) of breast cancer compared to their civilian counterparts. This revelation raised more questions than it answered, and over three years later, proper resources have not yet been dedicated to resolving some of those questions. This legislation proposes a promising step in that direction.</p><p>Our veterans deserve no less.</p><p>Sincerely,</p>