Options for Screening for Cancer in SOF

This blog comes directly from the Global SOF President and CEO, Stu Bradin.

———

This blog has been hard to write because I know most SOF folks really don’t want to talk about this subject – cancer.

I am now 62 years old, and I have survived some crazy stuff. Like many people, when I was younger, my life and health were not really things I thought much about. 

But as I get older, I realize there are a lot of things I want to live for. 

In units we constantly disregard our health to be with our teammates and we will “hide” injuries or health concerns. Once you retire there are no more missions, and you realize that one of the only things you have left is your health–and it really matters. In retirement, your health is a huge priority, and you just hope you’re not too late.

---

The Looming Fear of Cancer

Overall, my health is good. I suffer from what most older vets suffer from…back pain, ugly feet, and “senior moments.” I did also have my C3, C4, and C5 vertebrae fused in my neck in 2022. Oh, and I also tore my left and right biceps right before retirement, which also required some surgery. And apparently I didn’t get my wisdom teeth out as a teenager like everyone else, so that surgery is coming down the hopper right now… 

All of that to say, these have been recoverable ailments and injuries that are typical of a 30+ year SOF veteran. I have taken steps to get and stay healthy, such as losing weight, working out safely, and most importantly, I have a solid regimen for doctor visits. 

The one thing that still concerns me is cancer. 

I have seen a lot written about SOF vets having a higher rate of cancer, and many cases are detected late. Worse, I personally know people facing it, and for every one I know about I’m sure there’s at least one other fighting the battle in silence.

There are efforts out there to detect and treat cancer in Veterans, like the PACT Act–which expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to “burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.” Our friends at MSOFC did a Deep Dive in 2022 that had some great speakers and insights on cancer in SOF.

But for SOF warfighters who may have undetected cancer where every day matters, waiting for legislation or studies may not be an option. 

Sometimes, we need to take matters into our own hands.

---

Taking the Next Step with HunterSeven

Many veterans get regular lab work done, but I’ve learned that the labs don’t always detect cancer. I have several good friends or friend’s family members who didn’t find out until they were already in Stage IV. At that point, you have limited options.

Besides regular blood work, what else can you do for early detection? I’ve heard about full body MRIs, but it felt like an extreme step when I didn’t have any signs or symptoms of a problem. Who am I to order a whole MRI just for my own peace of mind?

Well, I’m a SOF veteran who is prioritizing his health and found inspiration from the HunterSeven Foundation.

If you don’t know, HunterSeven is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that specializes in medical research and education specifically on the post-9/11 veteran cohort. The HunterSeven Foundation has quickly become the leaders in identifying potential toxic exposures and subsequent illnesses in military veterans and in turn is able to educate both the veteran population and the healthcare providers who care for them on critical health information relating to their exposures utilizing evidence-based practice.

I ran into Jillian Rowe with HunterSeven at Fort Liberty last November, and she is the one who talked me into doing the MRI scan. 

So I promised to schedule and attend the MRI scan as soon as I could. 

---

Getting My Elective MRI

I live in Tampa, but the closest place I could schedule my appointment with was Prenuvo in Boca Raton, Florida. I realize that distance could be a deterrent for some, but this is important so I drove the four hours to get to my appointment because I really wanted to do the scan to give myself some reassurance that I was doing everything I could do.

Prenuvo has a really nice office and they run a flawless operation. I was in and out in 1:15 minutes. The staff was amazing, and they made me feel relaxed–you could tell that they knew their business by their professionalism. I am not small, and stuffing me into an MRI tube could have been a challenge, but the team and capabilities at Prenuvo were great. 

The best part is that you get to wear video glasses that allow you to watch videos during the scan…a cool and unexpected perk. The entire scan took about one hour and I really did not feel cramped or claustrophobic because all I could see was the video. 

Obviously there’s a waiting period where it’s hard not to be nervous. You’re waiting for results that could define your life, but at least you know you took a huge step into answering the unanswered questions put on you by your life and career.

Prenuvo took about 3 weeks to send the final report, and when they did it was all housed in an app that made it easy to access and read. They also write the report in a way non-medical folks like me can understand. 

My report was clean for cancer–after weeks and really years of concern, it was such a relief to see that in words.

They did find a few things that they recommended I talk to my doctor about. The items of concern would never have been detected had I not done the MRI. None of the issues are life threatening but they are things that can be corrected with meds and it would give me a better quality of life.

I don’t know much about cancer other than it is complicated and often it is hard to detect. I also know that early detection is critical, and labs are not 100%. 

As we all get older, I recommend you reach out to HunterSeven and talk to them about getting the MRI scan. If I can do it, you can too.

Learn more about HunterSeven at the link below:

Home