The Senate must not leave veterans with lymphatic diseases behind

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Susan Fondy, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is the former chief surgeon of the Army National Guard and an ambassador of the Lymphatic Education and Research Network (LE&RN).

I spent more than two decades in the United States Army believing that no service member should ever be left behind.

After surviving breast cancer caused by exposure to toxic burn pits during deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, I learned that principle must extend beyond the battlefield.

Like countless other cancer survivors, I developed lymphedema. It is a chronic, progressive disease caused by damage to the lymphatic system that is painful, incurable, and requires lifelong management. Something as simple as carrying groceries, exercising or even saluting can become difficult. Every day carries the risk of infections, swelling, and worsening disability.

I was fortunate that my military training taught me resilience and my medical background gave me an advantage that many patients do not have. Having completed medical school and two residencies, I was better equipped than most to advocate for myself during cancer treatment. Yet even then, my oncologist dismissed my concerns, and no one explained how to reduce my risk of developing lymphedema.

That experience is more common than many realize. Research shows the average American medical school graduate receives less than 30 minutes of dedicated education on the lymphatic system over four years of training. It is little wonder that patients are so often left without answers.

I was able to educate myself, find the right specialists, and build a care team to help me manage this disease. Millions of Americans do not have this opportunity. Neither do many veterans who now live with lymphatic diseases because of the service they gave to our country.

Military service places extraordinary demands on the body. Combat trauma, blast injuries, surgeries, burns, infections, and environmental exposures can all damage the lymphatic system. Service members are also at elevated risk for cancers — including breast cancer, melanoma, and head and neck cancers — whose treatments frequently lead to secondary lymphedema. It can end military careers prematurely and continue affecting veterans long after they return home.

Despite impacting more than 10 million Americans, lymphatic diseases continue to receive only a fraction of the research attention devoted to other chronic conditions.

The Senate has an opportunity to change that.

The Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) supports innovative research on diseases and conditions that affect military readiness, veterans, and military families. The list of eligible diseases is decided on by the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. Inclusion of lymphatic diseases on the program’s list of eligible conditions allows researchers across the country to compete for funding that can accelerate scientific discoveries and improve patient care.

When lymphatic diseases were previously included, researchers secured approximately $12 million in competitive awards and published nearly 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers that advanced our understanding of diagnosis, treatment, and potential cures. Those investments are already paying dividends. Researchers are developing better imaging technologies, exploring regenerative therapies, improving surgical techniques, and advancing treatments that could dramatically improve quality of life for millions of civilians as well as for wounded warriors and veterans whose service left them vulnerable to these diseases.

Unfortunately, lymphatic diseases were left off the list of eligible conditions for Fiscal Year 2026. That omission must be corrected ahead of the next budget cycle. This is not about creating a new program or increasing government bureaucracy. It is simply about ensuring that lymphatic researchers once again have the opportunity to compete for existing DOD research funding. The military has long recognized that protecting readiness means investing in prevention, innovation, rehabilitation, and recovery. Supporting lymphatic disease research aligns perfectly with that mission.

As someone who wore the uniform for more than 20 years, I know our nation fulfills its promises not only through grateful recognition, but by continuing to care for those whose health was affected by their service. As a cancer survivor living with lymphedema, I also know firsthand what is at stake when research is delayed.

We owe today’s service members and tomorrow’s veterans better options than lifelong disease management. We owe them the possibility of prevention, improved treatments, and, ultimately, cures.

The Senate should ensure that lymphatic diseases are relisted as an eligible condition in the Fiscal Year 2027 PRMRP. For millions of Americans, including countless military families, that decision could make all the difference.