Veteran’s spindle cell sarcoma treated across geographical boundaries

Air Force Veteran Annette Negron became worried when a persistent pain developed in her right side. What first felt like sore muscles or like her appendix might have burst, turned out to be a mass between her liver and kidney. A biopsy revealed that Negron had spindle cell sarcoma, a rare form of bone and connective tissue cancer.

In her current role as a social worker assisting Veterans experiencing homelessness at Reno VA, Negron is familiar with VA’s health care system, leading her to seek out cancer care there. She knows VA would understand her unique situation as a former service member in a way that other healthcare systems might not. “They have an idea about the Veteran population, and I don’t have to explain everything about my disabilities,” Negron said.

Best-in-class care beyond geographical boundaries

Negron began chemotherapy at VA and radiation in the community directed by her VA oncologist, Dr. Reema A. Patel, a specialist in her cancer type who happens to be based in Kentucky. Though Negron lives several states away from Dr. Patel, VA’s National TeleOncology Program (NTO) means that Veterans get the care they need no matter where they live.  

NTO provides cancer care virtually through telecommunication technology, connecting Veterans to oncologists and nurses while delivering cancer diagnostics and treatment plans. While care can be directed remotely, NTO oncologists primarily augment local care teams to facilitate a Veteran’s treatment.

In addition to connecting Veterans to experts like Dr. Patel across geographical boundaries, NTO also helps Veterans navigate their care with nurses and other staff working locally and remotely to share information between providers, provide follow-up notes after appointments and answer Veterans’ questions.

“I feel better when making decisions now. If it wasn’t for how the staff treated me, treatment would have been so much harder,” she shared.

Moving forward

Negron is still in treatment for her sarcoma at VA and has a few words of advice for her fellow Veterans facing similar challenges: “Cancer’s not something you want to deal with, but you have to. Don’t wait. If something’s not normal, go to the doctor and make sure to ask questions and stay in touch with the whole team, including your nurses.”

To learn more about common forms of cancer and VA cancer care resources, visit cancer.va.gov. Visit My HealthVet to speak with your VA health care team, so together you can manage your health.