I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4880 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national clinical 
pathway for prostate cancer, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2021 
Mr. DUNN (for himself, Ms. SLOTKIN, Mr. ALLRED, and Mr. MURPHY of 
North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a 
national clinical pathway for prostate cancer, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Prostate 
Cancer Treatment and Research Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Prostate cancer is the number one cancer 
diagnosed in the Veterans Health Administration. 
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(2) A 1996 report published by the National 
Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine es-
tablished a link between prostate cancer and expo-
sure to herbicides, such as Agent Orange. 
(3) It is essential to acknowledge that due to 
these circumstances, certain veterans are made 
aware that they are high-risk individuals when it 
comes to the potential to develop prostate cancer. 
(4) In being designated as ‘‘high risk’’, it is es-
sential that veterans are proactive in seeking earlier 
preventative clinical services for the early detection 
and successful treatment of prostate cancer, whether 
that be through the Veterans Health Administration 
or through a community provider. 
(5) Clinical preventative services and initial de-
tection are some of the most important components 
in the early detection of prostate cancer for veterans 
at high risk of prostate cancer. 
(6) For veterans with prostate cancer, including 
prostate cancer that has metastasized, precision on-
cology, including biomarker-driven clinical trials and 
innovations underway through the Prostate Cancer 
Foundation and Department of Veterans Affairs 
partnership, represents one of the most promising 
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areas of interventions, treatments, and cures for 
such veterans and their families. 
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TREATMENT 
AND RESEARCH OF PROSTATE CANCER. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF CLINICAL PATHWAY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 365 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall establish an inter-
disciplinary clinical pathway for all stages of pros-
tate cancer, from early detection to end of life care. 
The clinical pathway shall be established in the Na-
tional Surgery Office of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs in close collaboration with the National Pro-
gram Office of Oncology, the Office of Research and 
Development, and other relevant entities of the De-
partment, including Primary Care. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The national clinical pathway 
established under this subsection shall include the 
following elements: 
(A) A diagnosis pathway for prostate can-
cer that includes early screening and diagnosis 
protocol, including screening recommendations 
for veterans with evidence-based risk factors. 
(B) A treatment pathway that details the 
respective roles of each office of the Depart-
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ment that will interact with veterans receiving 
prostate cancer care, including treatment pro-
tocol recommendations for veterans with evi-
dence-based risk factors. 
(C) Treatment recommendations for all 
stages of prostate cancer that reflect nationally 
recognized standards for oncology, including 
National Comprehensive Cancer Network guide-
lines. 
(D) A suggested protocol timeframe for 
each point of care, from early screening to 
treatment and end-of-life care, based on sever-
ity and stage of cancer. 
(E) A plan that includes, as appropriate, 
both Department medical facilities and commu-
nity-based partners and providers and research 
centers specializing in prostate cancer, espe-
cially such centers that have entered into part-
nerships with the Department. 
(3) COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION.—In 
establishing the clinical pathway required under this 
section, the Secretary may collaborate and coordi-
nate with— 
(A) the National Institutes of Health; 
(B) the National Cancer Institute; 
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(C) the National Institute on Minority 
Health and Health Disparities; 
(D) the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention; 
(E) the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services; 
(F) the Patient-Centered Outcomes Re-
search Institute; 
(G) the Food and Drug Administration; 
(H) the Department of Defense; and 
(I) other Institutes and Centers as the 
Secretary determines necessary. 
(4) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—In estab-
lishing the clinical pathway required under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall consult with, and incor-
porate feedback from, veterans who have received 
prostate cancer care at Department medical facilities 
as well as experts in multi-disciplinary cancer care 
and clinical research. 
(5) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall— 
(A) publish the clinical pathway estab-
lished under this subsection on a publicly avail-
able Department website; and 
(B) update the clinical pathway as needed 
by review of the medical literature and available 
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evidence-based guidelines at least annually, in 
accordance with the criteria under paragraph 
(2). 
(b) DEVELOPMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE PROSTATE 
CANCER PROGRAM AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROS-
TATE CANCER CLINICAL PATHWAY.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a plan to establish 
a prostate cancer program using the comprehensive 
prostate cancer clinical pathway developed under 
subsection (a). 
(2) 
PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS.—The 
com-
prehensive prostate cancer program shall— 
(A) receive direct oversight from the Dep-
uty Undersecretary for Health of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs; 
(B) include a yearly program implementa-
tion evaluation to facilitate replication for other 
disease states or in other healthcare institu-
tions; 
(C) be metric driven and include the devel-
opment of biannual reports on the quality of 
prostate cancer care, which shall be provided to 
the leadership of the Department, medical cen-
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