Posted on July 10th, 2020
During the last century, millions of veterans were exposed to toxic substances on military bases, which is why many now struggle with serious, life-threatening diseases, including cancer. Some of the harmful agents lurking on military bases were dioxins, PFAS, industrial solvents, Agent Orange, benzene, and heavy metals.
Over 700 military bases nationwide have a grim legacy of toxic exposure, most of which are contaminated with PFAS, a group of highly toxic chemicals. Exposure to these substances, also known as "forever chemicals" due to their ability to persist in the environment and the body, can result in dozens of serious health problems, including several cancers. Nevertheless, there were many other toxic chemicals lurking on military bases during the last century, including:
- benzene
- 2-butanone
- carbon tetrachloride
- trichloroethylene
- perchloroethylene
- chlordane
- 1,1- dichloroethane
- 1,2- dichloroethane
- methylene chloride
- polychlorinated biphenyls
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- tetrachloroethylene
- toluene
- trichloroethylene
- vinyl chloride
- halogenated hydrocarbons
- trihalomethanes
- xylene
Usually, service members would be exposed to a concoction of harmful chemicals, depending on their military duties. Because these substances were highly prevalent in the environment, nearly everyone who spent time at military bases during the last century now has a history of toxic exposure, of which they should inform their physician, as their risk of developing a related disease is high. Over 43,000 veterans receive a cancer diagnosis every year across the country.
PFOA exposure increases the risk of kidney cancer by 16% in veterans
The chemical perfluorooctanoic acid, known as PFOA for short, is one of the numerous substances from the PFAS group. It is also one of the most dangerous chemicals out of the "forever chemicals" class. According to a study from the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, the average relative increase in cancer risk per 10 ng/mL increase in serum PFOA is 16% for kidney cancer and 3% for testicular cancer. Higher kidney cancer incidence and mortality have been seen among people with high PFOA exposures, including veterans who lived at contaminated military bases. Furthermore, the development of various kidney diseases is associated with PFOA exposure, which increases the risk of kidney cancer.
Unfortunately, exposure to these chemicals does not cause only kidney and testicular cancer, as the following diseases are also associated with it:
- Kidney cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Thyroid disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Bladder cancer
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Leukemia
- Male breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Liver cancer
- Thyroid cancer
Researchers found that higher blood concentrations of PFOS, another highly dangerous chemical from this group, were associated with a significantly increased risk of developing testicular cancer. A recent study from Environmental Health Perspectives shows a direct association between PFOS found in the blood of thousands of military personnel and testicular cancer. Using blood drawn from Air Force servicemen, the researchers found strong evidence that airmen who were firefighters had elevated concentrations of PFAS in their bloodstreams. The airmen with testicular cancer had higher serum levels of PFOS than those who had not been diagnosed with cancer.
The causal relation between exposure to Agent Orange and lung cancer
As an herbicide and defoliant chemical, Agent Orange was used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War as part of Operation Ranch Hand, which was a chemical warfare program. It is estimated that over 4 million people were exposed to Agent Orange, and 3 million of these individuals came to struggle with terrible diseases such as leukemia, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer as a result of exposure.
According to a 1994 report by the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, there is a strong connection between exposure to Agent Orange and the development of lung cancer and other respiratory malignant diseases. Because the herbicide contains dioxin, a toxic agent, exposure to Agent Orange, which occurs when a person inhales the substance, can lead to lung cancer, as well as bronchial cancer, esophageal cancer, and throat cancer. Dioxins are a group of chemicals that are persistent environmental pollutants, which means that once they are released, they remain in the water, soil, and air forever, thereby endangering the health of everyone who is in close proximity for a long period of time.
There are other diseases in addition to lung cancer exposure to Agent Orange can cause, for which veterans can seek VA benefits, namely:
- esophageal cancer
- throat cancer
- bronchial cancer
- leukemia
- amyloidosis
- lymphoma
- Parkinson's disease
- diabetes mellitus type 2
- ischemic heart disease
- prostate cancer
- soft tissue sarcoma
- multiple myeloma
- Hodgkin's disease
- peripheral neuropathy
- bladder cancer
- chloracne
- hypothyroidism
- non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
If a veteran was exposed to Agent Orange while serving during the Vietnam War, which was the case for the majority of veterans, their chances of developing a terrible disease increase tremendously. Still, it is important to know that if you are a veteran with a history of exposure to Agent Orange and suffer from a related disease, you immediately qualify for compensation from the VA.
