Table 1.

Search strategy for Veterans Affairs (VA) lung and colorectal cancer treatment and outcomes

Database	PubMed
Time frame	Articles published January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2013
Search terms	((((“United States Department of Veterans Affairs” [MeSH] OR “hospitals, veterans” [MeSH] OR “veterans health” [MeSH] OR “veterans” [MeSH]) AND (“lung neoplasms” [MeSH] OR “colorectal neoplasms” [MeSH]) AND (“2003/01/01” [PDAT]: “2013/12/31” [PDAT]))) OR ((((lung cancer [title/abstract]) OR colorectal cancer [title/abstract]) OR colon cancer [title/abstract]) OR rectal cancer [title/abstract])) AND ((veteran [title/abstract]) OR VA [title/abstract])
Exclusion criteria	• Non-English language
	• Non-US veterans (or inability to distinguish between treatment/outcomes of veterans and nonveterans within the article)
	• Noncancer or other cancers
	• Nonepidemiological or not original research (eg, commentaries, feasibility studies)
	• Described only risk or barriers to care

Abbreviations: MeSH, Medical Subject Headings; PDAT, publication date.