SOTERIA Cancer Hunt Initiative
Precision in Cancer Care for the Military and Veteran Community
Cancer Hunt™ is a national initiative of SOTERIA Precision Medicine Foundation, a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit expanding access to precision oncology for U.S. military service members and veterans facing cancer.
Built on a straightforward but urgent premise, Cancer Hunt™ helps military and veteran patients access comprehensive germline and somatic genomic profiling, biomarker analysis, and precision-oncology navigation, regardless of insurance barriers, at no cost to the patient.
Cancer is a complex enemy. The Cancer Hunt™ exists to help find its vulnerabilities early, equip patients and treating teams with meaningful molecular information, and ensure that no military-connected patient is left behind because advanced testing or specialized navigation was out of reach.
SOTERIA works alongside—not instead of—existing oncology teams. We do not replace clinical care, direct treatment decisions, or move patients away from their physicians. Our role is to reduce burdens: consolidating records, facilitating sequencing and test requisitions, coordinating logistics, supporting patients through the process, identifying potential clinical-trial opportunities, and delivering clear molecular findings for patients to discuss with their treating care team.
Why the Cancer Hunt Matters
Military service can involve environmental, occupational, physical, and psychological exposures that may affect long-term health. Across generations, the same pattern has emerged: exposure-related health risks are often recognized too late.
From Vietnam and Agent Orange to Gulf War Illness and the 9/11 responder crisis, military-connected communities have repeatedly faced toxic exposures, delayed recognition, and preventable loss. The Post-9/11 generation may be following a similar trajectory.
The Urgency
INDICATOR
Approximately 1 in 10
Active-duty deaths from 2010–2020 were known to be caused by cancer
Age 28
Average age of service members represented in the 2010–2020 analysis
More than 40%
Cancer deaths exceeded combat deaths by more than 40% from 2010–2020
These are not only older veterans confronting age-related diseases. Cancer affects active-duty personnel, veterans, families, and communities at stages of life when careers, relationships, and futures should still be unfolding.
The Cancer Hunt™ shifts the approach from waiting for cancer to dictate the terms of battle to actively pursuing better information, more personalized options, and timely support.
WHAT IT TELLS US
The Cancer Hunt Mission
Cancer Hunt™ brings together clinicians, researchers, institutions, veteran-serving organizations, and community partners to improve access to advanced molecular testing and precision-oncology support for military and veteran populations.
Our goals are to:
Expand access to comprehensive germline and somatic genomic profiling and biomarker analysis
Help patients and care teams understand actionable molecular findings
Identify potential clinical-trial options when appropriate
Support informed conversations between patients and their treating oncologists
Reduce administrative and logistical burdens on patients, clinicians, and institutions
Advance research into the relationship between military exposures, cancer biology, treatment response, and outcomes
Build a first-of-its-kind military and veteran cancer-genomics dataset
Cancer Hunt™ is not a competing care provider. It is a precision-oncology access pathway that runs alongside the care a patient is already receiving.
Who Cancer Hunt Serves
Cancer Hunt™ serves U.S. military service members and veterans with an active cancer diagnosis, regardless of branch, rank, military occupation, service era, insurance status, or care setting.
Eligible patients may be receiving care through:
The Department of Veterans Affairs health system
Military treatment facilities
Community oncology practices
Academic medical centers
Subspecialty clinics
Private or employer-sponsored insurance networks
Direct referral pathways
The initiative is designed for the broader military and veteran community. Every patient’s path to care may look different; Cancer Hunt™ is built to meet them where they are and help close gaps in access to precision oncology.
The SOTERIA Precision Pathway
Cancer Hunt™ provides a coordinated pathway for patients and their treating teams.
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SOTERIA helps service members, veterans, families, clinicians, and community partners understand the potential role of military exposures, inherited risk, tumor biology, and precision oncology in cancer care.
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Proactive identification of high-risk individuals before symptoms.
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A dedicated oncology nurse navigator helps guide enrollment, gathers relevant information, and provides patient education. SOTERIA manages logistics to reduce the burden on the patient and their care team. SOTERIA coordinates the collection and consolidation of relevant medical records, pathology, imaging, prior treatment information, and other materials needed to prepare an organized case summary.
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SOTERIA facilitates comprehensive CLIA-validated germline and somatic genomic sequencing, along with biomarker analysis. This can help identify molecular features that may be relevant to a patient’s diagnosis, prognosis, treatment discussion, or trial eligibility.
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Patients receive CLIA-certified reports and plain-language summaries designed to help them understand their results and prepare for informed conversations with their treating oncology team. SOTERIA navigates care, removes barriers, and supports quality of life throughout treatments.
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Relevant clinical trials and treatment-pathway considerations so patients and clinicians can evaluate appropriate options together. Trial identification is informational; treatment decisions always remain with the patient and their treating clinicians.
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Study genomic signatures and population data to drive insight, treatments, and change.
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Honor fighters, elevate survivor voices, and drive system change.
What SOTERIA Provides
SOTERIA is supported by oncology nurse navigators, PhD-level biomarker scientists, oncology physicians, and logistics coordinators. Our team manages the process from records collection through results delivery.
Cancer Hunt™ provides:
Dedicated oncology nurse navigation for patient education, test-requisition support, and logistics management
Medical-record consolidation and case-summary preparation
Facilitation of comprehensive CLIA-validated germline and somatic sequencing
Biomarker interpretation, pathway analysis, and predictive analytics when applicable
Molecular results delivered in both clinical-report and plain-language formats
Clinical-trial identification and informed treatment-pathway support
Multidisciplinary research-use-only Molecular Tumor Board review for qualifying complex cases
Longitudinal follow-up and population-level molecular analysis
Support for patients preparing to discuss molecular findings with their existing oncology team
What SOTERIA Does Not Do
SOTERIA does not replace the treating care team!
We do not:
Replace a patient’s oncologist or existing clinical team
Diagnose cancer or direct treatment decisions
Provide second opinions in place of a treating physician
Transfer patients away from their current oncology provider
Interrupt or alter existing clinical workflows
Require referral through a military hospital or the VA
Create additional administrative burden for the referring clinician or institution
Our purpose is to provide meaningful molecular insights, reduce friction, and help patients and clinicians access information that may otherwise be difficult to obtain.
Partner With Cancer Hunt
SOTERIA collaborates with health systems, oncology practices, veteran-serving organizations, researchers, community groups, and other institutions committed to improving cancer outcomes for military and veteran populations.
A Cancer Hunt™ partnership is designed to be low-friction and high-impact. Institutions do not need to change how they practice medicine or build a new program. SOTERIA provides an access pathway that complements existing care.
Partnership at a Glance
WHAT WE ASK OF PARTNERS
Identify military-community patients with active cancer diagnoses who may benefit from precision-oncology support
Make a brief introduction to SOTERIA or submit a direct referral
Share relevant medical records with patient consent
Participate in Molecular Tumor Board review when desired and appropriate
Help patients understand that Cancer Hunt™ works alongside their existing care
Collaborate in identifying patients who could benefit from support
WHAT YOUR INSTITUTION RECEIVES
A no-cost pathway to comprehensive precision-oncology support for eligible patients
SOTERIA-managed intake, records coordination, sequencing facilitation, navigation, and follow-up
CLIA-certified molecular reports and plain-language patient summaries
Optional access to TGen / City of Hope Molecular Tumor Board expertise for qualifying complex cases
Clinical-trial research and precision-oncology gap identification
Contribution to a first-of-its-kind military and veteran cancer-genomics research dataset
No required change to institutional treatment workflows
Positioning as a precision-oncology access point for military and veteran patients in your region
Community Partners
Cancer Hunt™ works with trusted military, veteran, and community organizations to reach individuals and families affected by cancer. Current and prospective partners include:
These partnerships help SOTERIA connect with military and veteran communities, expand awareness, and ensure that patients can find support regardless of where they receive their care.
Patient and Family Support
Schedule a Consultation
If you are a service member or veteran navigating a cancer diagnosis, you do not have to face it alone. SOTERIA’s team can help you understand whether Cancer Hunt™ may be appropriate, organize the next steps, and access precision-oncology support at no cost to you.
Donate to the Mission
Every contribution helps expand access to genomic testing, biomarker analysis, oncology navigation, and clinical-trial research for military and veteran patients facing cancer.
Share the Initiative
Help connect the military and veteran community to precision-oncology resources by sharing Cancer Hunt™ with patients, families, clinicians, veteran organizations, and community leaders.
Help Us Serve Them
SOTERIA welcomes physicians, oncology professionals, researchers, navigators, and veteran clinicians who want to strengthen precision-oncology access for military and veteran communities.
Your experience can help ensure patients receive better information, clearer pathways, and stronger support while remaining under the care of their existing oncology teams.
Please email:
CLINICAL & REFERRAL INQUIRIES
VETERAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH
You Don’t Have To Navigate This Journey Alone
Schedule a Consult
If you are navigating a cancer diagnosis, don’t fight alone.
Our dedicated team is ready to help you access the personalized, genomic-led care you deserve. Take the first step today by scheduling with one of our navigators.
Donate to the Mission
Every dollar makes a difference for our Special Operations Community.
Your gift provides immediate and lifesaving access to genomic testing and expert navigation.
Help Us Serve Them
Experience as a veteran doctor can help strengthen the work we do at SOTERIA Precision Medicine. We welcome inquiries from physicians who are ready to contribute to a team committed to improving care for veterans through precision medicine.