>Long after their active duty ends, many veterans in North San Diego County, California, continue to shoulder the health risks tied to where and how they served. Among the most severe of these issues is lung cancer, which is a primary global health concern that tragically impacted nearly 218,900 Americans as of 2022, including over 8,000 ex-military personnel. And while multiple factors can contribute to the development of this condition, frequent exposure to hazardous substances—particularly asbestos—remains a significant threat. With its incredible thermal stability and heat resistance, this natural mineral was widely used by the Navy and other military branches for the production and maintenance of vessels, aircraft, tanks, vehicles, weapons, and barracks for much of the 20th century. But science has later confirmed that breathing in the tiny fibers can cause serious scarring and inflammation to the lungs, which may eventually lead to cancer. These realities make comprehensive screening programs not optional but vital tools for detecting disease early and reducing disproportionate deaths among exposed veterans.
Asbestos Exposure and Veteran Health in North San Diego County
North San Diego County features one of the tremendous veteran populations in California, shaped by generations of military presence and service. San Diego County alone supports more than 203,900 former service members—many of whom currently reside in communities such as Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, and Encinitas. This concentration primarily reflects the region’s proximity to major military installations, which for decades have played a central role in training and housing service members and their families. But to this day, many remain unaware that such a deep history entails significant health risks. A substantial share of this burden can be attributed to prolonged exposure to numerous pollutants pervasive across many military bases.
For instance, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton—a key naval facility bordering Oceanside—is notorious for using asbestos during a period when it was still standard in defense operations. As such, veterans who were deployed or stayed here with their families may now be particularly vulnerable to illnesses, most notably lung cancer. Tragically, this crisis has adversely affected all communities in California. An updated interactive map revealed that between 1999 and 2017, the Golden State saw 27,080 asbestos-associated fatalities, with 2,905 deaths documented in San Diego County alone. Of the total casualties, 1,778 were said to be due to asbestosis, and 5,100 were caused by mesothelioma. Even more disturbing, as many as 20,400 Californians succumbed to lung cancer during the same timeframe. These sobering statistics do not just illustrate the catastrophic effects of asbestos exposure—they also highlight the immediate need for early lung cancer screening and proactive preventive care.
A Federal Initiative to Improve Early Detection and Care
To address long-standing gaps in lung cancer detection and treatment among veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented the Lung Precision Oncology Program (LPOP) to expand no-cost annual screenings and ensure seamless access to advanced oncology care. But while this initiative has indeed been beneficial, it does not fully resolve the problem. The truth is that participation in VA-provided lung cancer screenings remains limited, although one million veterans nationwide are qualified to undergo such. And such an issue is even more acute in California, where a 2021 analysis found that fewer than 3,000 of more than 185,000 individuals who met eligibility criteria were screened out. As reported, these low uptake rates continue to exist because of critical structural barriers, specifically complex healthcare processes, hampered shared decision-making, limited diagnostic capacity, and even insufficient awareness among those highly susceptible.’
LPOP aims to address these challenges by integrating biomarker testing into routine care—thereby encouraging clinicians to tailor treatment to the molecular properties of the patient’s tumor and move beyond one-size-fits-all oncology. Likewise, the program intends to expand access to emerging therapies and clinical trials so that veterans can benefit from advances in cancer research rather than relying solely on conventional treatment pathways. Finally, to extend physicians’ expertise beyond major medical centers, LPOP supports TeleOncology through a hub-and-spoke model, enabling specialized VA facilities to provide guidance and coordination to smaller clinics and community-based sites. For California and its veteran-dense regions—such as North San Diego County—this structure is crucial, especially as it provides a framework for delivering advanced lung cancer care without requiring patients to travel long distances or navigate fragmented systems.
Closing the Gap in LPOP Access for At-Risk Veterans
In practice, LPOP has introduced powerful tools into the VA health system, but their benefits are still unevenly distributed. Although this program operates at 23 VA medical centers nationwide, California hosts only three participating hubs, all located in major metropolitan areas: San Francisco, Long Beach, and Los Angeles. Since many live far from the designated facilities, such geographic concentration leaves some veteran populations without practical or prompt access to comprehensive lung cancer screening as well as precision oncology services.
Expanding LPOP would certainly enable early detection closer to where veterans live before symptoms escalate and treatment options narrow. In addition, when paired with the TeleOncology model, this approach would retain centralized clinical expertise while extending precision diagnostics and interventions to communities currently underserved by existing hubs. Essentially, aligning the program’s infrastructure with the geographic realities veterans face would transform LPOP from an inadequate resource into a preventive system—one that reaches and supports the people it is designed to protect. And it is only through this kind of expansion that veterans in North San Diego County can truly receive timely, life-saving lung care that reflects the immense sacrifices they have already made.
About the Author
Cristina Johnson is a Navy veteran advocate for Asbestos Ships Organization, a nonprofit whose primary mission is to raise awareness and educate veterans about the dangers of asbestos exposure on Navy ships and assist them in navigating the VA claims process. For more information, please visit our page.
https://www.asbestos-ships.com/
