Afghanistan, Iraq War Vets want answers: why the increase in cancers?

[Buncheong]

I never knew AC but from all I’ve seen/read, he was a great man. I thought about him as I read this...

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article236413328.html

[chuckman]

That's a great question. I imagine some of it's environmental, but the physical stress plus crappy diet plus crappy sleep have well been documented to be correlated. Darn difficult to establish causation.

[OH58D]

I was in Desert Storm and flew thru the oil fire smoke, but for those who have been in 2003's Iraqi Freedom and the subsequent occupation. I would not be surprised if the burning trash dumps outside the perimeter of the bases didn't have something to do with it. If it wasn't dismantled and destroyed, it was burned. Also remember that the CARC paint used on military vehicles is also some type of carcinogen.

[Buncheong]

All valid points.

I was wondering about DU ammunition being expended, the dust of which remaining in their surrounding environment.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

I was in Desert Storm and flew thru the oil fire smoke, but for those who have been in 2003's Iraqi Freedom and the subsequent occupation. I would not be surprised if the burning trash dumps outside the perimeter of the bases didn't have something to do with it. If it wasn't dismantled and destroyed, it was burned. Also remember that the CARC paint used on military vehicles is also some type of carcinogen.

CARC isn't that exotic, in the realm of coatings. More a danger in the unreacted form (isocyanates). Trash burns all over the place.

Didn't read the report, but I'd look at similar aged people that grew up there and we then brought state side and compare those groups. I'd look at DU and other uncommon, rather than common stuff. I'd put money on stress. I wouldn't doubt that you'd see epigenomic expressions in kids too based on some environmental exposures.

[Averageman]

I was in Desert Storm and flew thru the oil fire smoke, but for those who have been in 2003's Iraqi Freedom and the subsequent occupation. I would not be surprised if the burning trash dumps outside the perimeter of the bases didn't have something to do with it. If it wasn't dismantled and destroyed, it was burned. Also remember that the CARC paint used on military vehicles is also some type of carcinogen.

Sometimes when the trash fires combines with the dust storms these events blocked out the sky, the burning plastic could be smelled days after the fires were out and the smoke had dissipated. 09/10
The oil well fires were amazing, the oil in the air changed the colors of our uniforms and vehicles. I'm pretty sure everyone in that crap absorbed enough toxins to kill a horse. Coughing up that crap for months afterwards.
The numbers of dead that were left un buried for weeks at a time. We stopped on what was called the "Highway of Death", you could walk several hundred meters body to body in any direction and yes our Command left us there to eat, sleep and live in the middle of all of that. Expended DU, corpses everywhere flies would who would in one minute be feasting on the dead just loved to run across your chow a minute or so later.
35 total years of that as a service member and later an embedded maintenance adviser, that's about all the fun I could stand and yes, I'm concerned.

[TheAlsatian]

I was only in Afghanistan and there late 2001 and into 2002. I know our early operating bases were located on old Soviet bases. I know one in particular had the billeting area located over old chemical storage areas. Personally, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure as an otherwise very healthy, in shape 49 year old. The VA cardialogist told me it was likely traced to a virus I encountered in Afghanistan. I know of at least 3 other men who served in country during that era who were diagnosed with the same thing. While not rare among younger people, this pattern is very unusual.

[jsbhike]

An interesting read:

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/08/25/ive-had-more-exposure-to-agent-orange-than-anyone-heres-what-i-know

[soulezoo]

I was only in Afghanistan and there late 2001 and into 2002. I know our early operating bases were located on old Soviet bases. I know one in particular had the billeting area located over old chemical storage areas. Personally, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure as an otherwise very healthy, in shape 49 year old. The VA cardialogist told me it was likely traced to a virus I encountered in Afghanistan. I know of at least 3 other men who served in country during that era who were diagnosed with the same thing. While not rare among younger people, this pattern is very unusual.
I was in Kandahar the same time you state (OP Anaconda).
Got me worried now.

[WillBrink]

It seems there's differing findings:

“According to the latest official VA cancer data, the annual total number of cancer cases among enrolled veterans peaked in 2010 and has been declining since,” the VA said in a statement. “Colorectal and prostate cancer have been declining, while hepatocellular and skin (melanoma) cancer have been increasing. These trends largely mirror national cancer trends.”

There are multiple ways to track cancer rates, and each has limitations.

Studies have found that the billing data used in McClatchy’s analysis, which covered all treatments provided by the VA coded as cancer according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), has a tendency to overcount, while data from cancer registries such as the one used by the VA has a tendency to undercount."

Personally, I'd be surprised if there was not an increase in some cancers with several ongoing conflicts as war fighters are awash in chems of all kinds, some known established carcinogens, some not.

[TheAlsatian]

I was in Kandahar the same time you state (OP Anaconda).
Got me worried now.

I was there during Anaconda but not with the 101st. I was at the CJSOTF. We only had a peripheral role in Anaconda.

[Grand58742]

It seems there's differing findings:

“According to the latest official VA cancer data, the annual total number of cancer cases among enrolled veterans peaked in 2010 and has been declining since,” the VA said in a statement. “Colorectal and prostate cancer have been declining, while hepatocellular and skin (melanoma) cancer have been increasing. These trends largely mirror national cancer trends.”

There are multiple ways to track cancer rates, and each has limitations.

Studies have found that the billing data used in McClatchy’s analysis, which covered all treatments provided by the VA coded as cancer according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), has a tendency to overcount, while data from cancer registries such as the one used by the VA has a tendency to undercount."

Personally, I'd be surprised if there was not an increase in some cancers with several ongoing conflicts as war fighters are awash in chems of all kinds, some known established carcinogens, some not.

As a reminder, I see the "findings" omit whether or not it's service related or not.

I don't trust the VA as far as I can throw them.

[WillBrink]

As a reminder, I see the "findings" omit whether or not it's service related or not.

I don't trust the VA as far as I can throw them.

I can't really blame you there.